JOHOR BARU: A factory assistant supervisor was charged at the magistrate's court here today with driving under the influence, which caused a national kayak athlete to sustain severe injuries during the incident on Saturday.
R. Dinesh, 31, pleaded not guilty when the charges which were read to him before Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid.
According to the charge sheet, Dinesh was accused of driving his Toyota Vios while under the influence with a recorded alcohol level of 178 milligrams, which is 50 milligrams above the legal limit.
The accused was charged with committing the offence at KM3.5 of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway at 4.19 pm on May 11.
He was charged under Section 44(1A)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for driving under the influence, which carries the maximum 10 years' jail and a fine of up to RM50,000.
Prosecuting officer Inspector S. Vikineswary prosecuted while the accused was unrepresented.
Vikineswary proposed bail to be set at RM20,000 and for the accused's driving license to be suspended until the conclusion of the case. She also requested the accused to report to the Skudai police station once a month.
Dinesh appealed for the bail to be reduced, claiming his monthly salary as a factory assistant supervisor was below RM2,000.
"I do not have RM20,000 and cannot afford a high bail because I only work as a storekeeper in a factory. I also need to support my father after my mother's death," he pleaded in his appeal.
Nur Fatin later set bail at RM8,000 with one surety, suspended the driving license of the accused until the conclusion of the case is concluded. She also ordered Dinesh to report to the Skudai police station once a month.
Nur Fatin also set June 24 for mention to allow submissions of documents and for the accused to appoint a lawyer.
It was reported yesterday that a prominent Malaysian female kayak athlete was severely injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed into her motorcycle at the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway on Saturday.
Based on viral online dashcam footage, Siti Nurul Masyitah Elias, 22, was dragged about 600 metres by the car that had ploughed into her motorcycle.
Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat, confirmed the incident.