KUALA LUMPUR: A police lance corporal was charged at the magistrate's court today with stealing two pieces of jewellery from a woman who was found dead in a car last month.
Mohd Alifah Mohd Sapie, 35, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him before magistrate M.S. Arunjothy.
According to the charge, the father of five is accused of stealing a necklace and a bracelet belonging to the deceased, Nur Farhana Nisha Syazwan, 26, near Prima Setapak, Wangsa Maju, at 2.30am on Oct 1.
He was charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy public prosecutor Vivi'Asnita Zaina'Larifin did not offer bail, citing that the offence was non-bailable.
Lawyer Lavinia Raj, who represented the accused, pleaded for bail highlighting that her client has five young children, aged between 2 and 12, who are still in school and dependent on him.
"My client is a Lance Corporal earning only RM2,500 per month.
"If a high bail is set, the accused will face difficulties in supporting his family," she said, requesting a minimum bail of RM1,000.
The court set bail at RM3,500 with one surety and fixed Jan 22 for mention.
It was earlier reported that four policemen were arrested in Setapak in connection with an alleged jewellery theft case lodged by a local man.
The victim's father, Syazwan Abdullah, 59, claimed that the jewellery worn by his daughter when she was found dead in a car at a condominium in Setapak on Oct 1 had gone missing.
Syazwan had said that was informed by his daughter's landlord about the discovery of her body early on the morning of Oct 1.
He said that on the day of the incident, the fire department took photos before and after breaking the car window, as the vehicle was locked.
According to him, based on the photos, his daughter was still wearing the jewellery before her body was handed over to the police for further action.