MUAR: A food vendor pleaded not guilty to three counts of raping a 12-year-old girl in a car, here in March and April.
He was charged in the Magistrate's Court here today.
The accused, Muhammad Aliff Sukiman, 23, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after all three charges were read by the interpreter in front of Magistrate Fatin Dalilah Khalid.
According to the first charge, he was accused of raping the girl in a parked car on the side of Jalan Tengku Bendahara at 8.30pm on March 13.
For the second and third charges, he again committed the same act against the victim in a car parked in his house compound at 9.30pm and 1.30am on March 27 and April 1, respectively.
For these three charges, he is charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and whipping.
Deputy public prosecutor Danial Munir led the prosecution while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.
The court set tomorrow (Monday, May 6) for the application for bail and appointment of the accused's lawyer.