PETALING JAYA: Four men today claimed trial at the Sessions Court to a joint charge of robbing a man of gold bars weighing 16.9 kilogrammes worth RM5.9 million last month.
The accused, Aziz Ahmad Nor, 38, Shah Harizie Zainal, 39, B.Krishore Raam, 30, and Mohamad Afiq Jamal, 33, made their plea after the charge was read out to them before judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh.
The charge read that they had allegedly committed gang robbery with a parang on a 22-year old man who was in possession of the gold bars at 11am at the Puchong Industrial Complex in Puchong on Sept 13.
The offence is under Section 395 of the Penal Code read with Section 397 of the same code.
Section 395 carries a maximum of 20-year jail term; a fine and whipping while Section 397 provides whipping; as well as the penalties provided under Section 395.
During proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Nur Izzati Rozman did not offer bail to the accused due to the severity of the offence.
She said there was a risk of them absconding if they were released on bail.
"If the court wants to use its discretion to give bail, I suggest the sum be set at RM30,000 with one surety for each accused.
"This includes additional conditions where they cannot harass witnesses, report to the police station and surrender their passport to the court until the end of proceedings," she said.
In mitigation, lawyer Muhammad Amirul Mukminin, who stood for Aziz and Krishore Raam, pleaded for a minimum bail.
He said Aziz has a three-month pregnant wife while Krishore Raam supports his mother, wife and a child aged nine.
Shah Harizie and Mohamad Afiq, who were unrepresented, pleaded for a lower bail as they do not have stable jobs.
After hearing the pleas, Syahliza set RM10,000 with one surety for each accused and allowed the additional conditions requested by the prosecution.
The court set Nov 19 for mention.
Yesterday, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the victim and a colleague were loading gold bars belonging to their company, into a vehicle at the complex when four masked men approached them in a blue Perodua Axia with a fake registration number.
He said the victim was hit on the hands and legs with a stick. Another suspect with a machete kept watch while an accomplice took the bag of gold bars from the back seat of the company vehicle.
He added that they were intensifying their search for two more suspects to aid in the investigation.