TAWAU: Two members of the Malaysian Armed Forces were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with concealing evidence in connection to a fatal accident in January last year.
The accused, Lieutenant Colonel Werar Suleiman Ali, 55, and Corporal Muhammad Hafizuddin Ripin, 29, both pleaded not guilty when the charge was read before Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum.
According to the charge, they were accused of jointly concealing evidence related to an accident involving a motorcycle, which was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act (APJ) 1987.
The offence allegedly took place at a petrol station near Batu 3 Jalan Apas, here, around 6 pm on Jan 30, 2023. The charge was brought under Section 201 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code. If convicted, they could face up to three years in prison and a possible fine.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Hurman Hussain along with prosecuting officer Assistant Superintendent Joan Lee, while both accused were represented by lawyers Abdul Ghani Zelika and Vivian Thien. Hurman proposed bail of RM5,000 with a local surety with a fixed address in the district.
However, both defence lawyers requested a lower bail, arguing that their clients are public servants and not considered flight risks.
Additionally, they expressed readiness to cooperate and attend the trial on the dates set by the court.
The court then granted bail of RM3,500 each with two local sureties and set July 31 as the date for the case mention.
Both accused posted bail.