KUCHING: One of the two men seen in a video that went viral who attacked and robbed a 49-year-old woman in a parking lot of a shopping mall at Batu Kawa here was charged in the Sessions Court here today.
Clad in a grey T-shirt, the man pleaded not guilty to the charge before judge Mohd Taufik Mohd Yusof.
He was charged with robbing and voluntarily causing hurt to the woman and fleeing with a smartphone. He allegedly committed the offence at the Megaland E-mart rooftop parking in Batu Kawa on Feb 20 around 9.15pm.
The charge is framed under Section 394 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and also liable to whipping, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Sharifah Fatimah Azura requested a bail of RM20,000 cash for the accused.
“The accused is a habitual offender as has been suspected of being involved in numerous robbery cases in Kuching,” she said.
The suspect who was not presented by a counsel had requested for bail to be set at RM2,000 and said that he is the sole breadwinner of the family.
In response, Sharifah asked the court to set bail by taking into account the safety of the victim.
Judge Mohd Taufik then fixed the bail at RM10,000 in cash with two local sureties, each must have a minimum income of RM3,500 and fixed April 12 for mention of the case.
The case came to light when a CCTV camera installed at the mall recorded a woman being robbed at a parking lot went viral on social media, resulting in a massive outcry from netizens.
In the video, the woman was seen waiting for her husband when she was suddenly attacked by two men.
It is understood that the police are still tracking down the other suspect who is still at large.
