SILAT INSTRUCTOR CLAIMS TRIAL TO SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

MELAKA, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- A silat instructor pleaded not guilty in the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court today to three charges of sexually assaulting two female teenagers who were also his students.

According to the first and second charges read out before Judge Raja Noor Adilla Raja Mahyaldin, Yusoh Omar, 44, was accused of committing physical sexual assault and carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent on a 15-year-old girl at a house in Taman Telok Mas at about 2 pm on Sept 13.

For the third charge, heard before Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah in a separate court, the accused was charged with sexually assaulting another girl, aged 14, at the same location at about 8 am on Oct 8.

He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (AKSTK) and Section 377C of the Penal Code, which respectively provide for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping, and imprisonment of between five and 20 years and whipping.

For the first two charges, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Ehsan Nasarudin proposed bail of RM20,000 for each charge, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fikri Hakim Zamri proposed bail of RM30,000 for the third charge, but Yusoh’s counsel Nigel Tai asked for a lower sum, saying his client had no fixed income and needed to care for his ailing mother.

The court set a total bail of RM24,000, ordered Yusoh to surrender his passport to the court, report to the nearest police station once every two weeks and refrain from approaching or disturbing the victims and witnesses, and fixed Dec 15 and 23 as the dates for the submission of documents.

-- BERNAMA