KUALA LUMPUR: Businessman Liow Soon Hee, 30, who was slapped with four charges of assaulting and obstructing three Rela members in October last year, was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on two of the charges by the Ampang Magistrate’s Court here yesterday.
Magistrate Mohamad Firdaus Sadina Ali made the decision after deputy public prosecutor Norhashimah Hashim informed the court that one of the three victims in the case had withdrawn his police report against Liow, who claims to have a “Datuk Seri” title.
Norhashimah said the victim, Melvin Cheong Mun Khai, 22, withdrew his report after accepting Liow’s apology.
As such, Liow’s lawyer, Datuk Rajpal Singh, applied to the court to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to his client on all four charges involving the three victims on the grounds that Cheong was the complainant in all the charges.
However, Norhashimah objected, saying that the police report was just a substantive condition for initiating investigations and that there were two other victims to be taken into consideration.
The magistrate then allowed the lawyer’s application to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Liow on the two charges involving Cheong, but ordered for the charge of assaulting the two other victims to proceed to full trial.
Liow was slapped with three charges of assaulting Cheong, Lee Weng Poh, 28, and Leong Jun Jie, 22, in the compound of the Kou Ong Yah Temple, Jalan Merdeka, Kampung Baru Ampang here at 6.30am on Oct 27, 2017.
It was reported that the Rela men were assaulted after asking Liow to move his Toyota Vellfire, which was obstructing traffic.
Lee suffered bruises and swelling to his left eye. It is understood that Leong was kicked and Cheong was hit on the back of his head.
The charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code provides for a maximum jail term of one year, or a fine of RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.
Liow was also charged with obstructing Melvin from carrying out his duty on the same day, and at the same time and place.
For that, he was charged under Section 353 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of two years, or a fine, or both, if convicted.
Meanwhile, Rela Operations Division director Muhamad Razib Buhaini said Cheong withdrew the police report of his own accord.