KUALA PILAH: An imam has pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to three counts of illegally possessing a firearm, ammunition as well as stealing the gun last month and in 2007.
The accused, Sulaiman Abdul Rahman, 63, made the plea after the charges were read to him by the court interpreter before Judge Nariman Badruddin.
According to the first charge, the accused, who is a retired police officer, was accused of possessing a Revolver 38 SPL 3 Smith & Wesson bearing the serial number 335J43 without legal permission at his home at 5568, Jalan Sidang Mohd Nor, Kampung Sungai Pinang, Pulau Indah, Selangor, at 11.40am on Jan 27.
He was charged under Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, which provides imprisonment of up to 14 years and up to six strokes of the rotan, upon conviction.
For the second charge, he was charged with possessing seven rounds for the Winchester 38 Special, one round for the 38 SPL and one round for the 38 SME without valid permission at the same location, date and time.
Upon conviction, he may be jailed for up to seven years or fined up to RM10,000 or both under Section 8A of the Firearms Act 1960.
For the third charge, Sulaiman was charged with stealing a pistol and 30 bullets from the Kuala Pilah police station’s armoury at 10pm on December 27, 2007.
He faces up to seven years’ jail or fine or both under Section 379 of the Penal Code, upon conviction.
During the court proceeding conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sara Afiqah Zulkipli, the accused’s lawyer, M. Gobi appealed for bail as his client had to undergo medical treatment for prostate cancer.
However, Nariman did not grant bail and set March 12 for case re-mention.
On January 26, the NSTP reported that the accused allegedly assaulted his wife after the 58-year-old woman leased their rambutan tree to a neighbour in Kampung Bukit Kadir in Nilai.
In the 9am incident on January 24, the accused allegedly fired a shot before his wife lodged a police report six hours later.
The man, however, turned himself at Mantin police station at 11pm the same day. Police during their investigations found guns and ammunition at his home in Pulau Indah, Selangor.