KOTA KINABALU: A local man will be tried at the Sessions Court here on February 13-14 next year for allegedly raping a woman six years ago.
Ramlan Ujud, 33, who appeared before magistrate Azreena Aziz, was charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
The unrepresented accused allegedly raped the 20-year-old woman near a beach in Kota Belud at 5.30pm on March 4, 2007.
The court released the accused on RM10,000 bail with two local sureties.
He was also ordered to report to the nearest police station once a month pending disposal of the case.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Effizah Ernie Idris objected to bail on the grounds that the accused and the victim are residing in the same district.
She submitted that there is a possibility that the accused might disturb the victim, who is one of the eight witnesses.
In reply, the accused asked the court to grant him bail, saying that the rape charge came as a shock to him as he had thought that there was no case since it allegedly happened in 2007.
He said the victim was now a married woman with one child.
In a separate case yesterday, local Yapp Nyuk Poh, 37, was fined RM4,000, in default, four months in jail by the Magistrate’s Court here for possessing 0.18 grams of syabu.
Senior assistant registrar Dzul Elmy Yunus imposed the fine on the accused after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 12 (3) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 or a jail term of up to five years, upon conviction.
He was caught committing the offence at a house in Taman Mesra here on September 18.
Inspector Lim Swee Beng prosecuted.