SIBU: Two young men entered pleas of not guilty to charges of jointly committing gang rape against a teenage girl at the Sessions Court today (March 15).
Muhamad Arieff Abdullah, 21, and Richard Kevir, 22, were formally charged and had the nature of the charges explained to them through an interpreter, to which they both acknowledged understanding and the implications of their not guilty pleas.
The charges allege that on November 13 last year, around 10 am, they sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and one month, in an unnumbered residence located in Kampung Melayu, Jalan Awang Suloh, Belaga.
Under Section 375B of the Penal Code, the crime is punishable by a prison term ranging from a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 30 years upon conviction.
The presiding judge, Marutin Pagan, set bail at RM7,000 with two sureties for each defendant, pending a pre-trial case management session scheduled for May 14. Despite this, both accused were detained in custody after failing to post bail.
The prosecution is led by Deputy Public Prosecutor David Bakit, and neither of the accused had legal representation at the hearing.
