SEGAMAT, Aug 14 — A 21-year-old man, allegedly hired by a Singapore debt scam syndicate, claimed trial in the Sessions Court here today to eight charges including causing the death of an elderly woman, mischief by fire and burning down five houses last month.
The accused, Chew Hong Joe, pleaded not guilty before Judge Rahim Abd Majid.
He is accused of causing the death of 72-year-old Tan Ah Gek at a house in Jalan Francis Khoo, Kampung Bukit Siput here at 4am on July 25.
The offence, under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, carries a maximum 10-year jail term or a fine, or both, if convicted.
For the second to sixth charges, Chew is accused of setting fire to five houses at the same location, time and date. The offence, under Section 436 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum 20-year prison term and a fine for each charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Khalijah Khalid appeared for the prosecution, while Harcharanjit Singh represented the accused.
The prosecution did not offer bail, citing the seriousness of the offences under Section 388 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and the court also denied bail.
Later in the Magistrate’s Court here, Chew was charged with two counts of criminal intimidation through notices pasted on the fence of houses belonging to two individuals, aged 49 and 54.
The alleged acts were committed at a house of worship and at a fence along Jalan Francis Khoo, Kampung Bukit Siput and Taman Ria here at 4am and 6.45am.
For these charges, under Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation by anonymous communication, Chew faces up to two years’ jail for each offence if convicted.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur ‘Aina Muhammad Ismail Tajd appeared for the prosecution, while Magistrate Dhilip Nair Atchuthan set bail at RM8,000 for both charges.
