KUCHING: Three friends breathed a sigh of relief when they were discharged and acquitted by the Sessions Court here today (11 August) on charges of committing a group robbery at a hotel in Batu Kawa two years ago.
Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd Yusuf made the decision against Filim Lawan, 37, Mathew Ismail, 27, and Herry Samwel, 20, after the complainant withdrew the report during the trial.
While testifying in court, the female complainant, suddenly withdrew from further testimony and stated that she was withdrawing her report.
After hearing the arguments from the defence lawyers Voon Lee Shan and Alex Kong who represented all the accused, the court decided to acquit and discharge the accused after Judge Mohd Taufik rejected deputy public prosecutor Danial Mohammad Ali’s request to discharge them without acquitting them.
This is due to the fact that the court found it insufficient to be considered as a strong reason to order discharge without acquitting the accused.
According to the charges, the three accused were charged with committing a group robbery at a hotel under Section 395 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 397 of the same Code.
They were alleged to have robbed a sum of RM450 belonging to the hotel in question in Batu Kawa here around eight minutes past midnight, on 11 November 2020.
If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison and whipping.
