Exec freed after mum paid RM4,000

KUALA TERENGGANU: A company executive was held captive and released only after his mother paid a ransom of RM4,000.

Police said the executive was abducted at a stall in Jalan Kamaruddin at 11pm last Saturday.

The executive had gone to the stall with a friend who left suddenly just before three men approached and forced him into a car.

The victim was then taken to an abandoned house where three others were waiting.

The executive was forced to contact his family and asked for RM4,000 for his release.

The victim contacted his mother, who deposited the amount into a given bank account at around 8am the next day. One of the abductors released the executive near his home in Panji Alam once the money was deposited.

Terengganu CID chief Asst Comm Mohd Fauzi Abduri said police detained the victim’s friend at Jalan Pasir Panjang yesterday over his possible involvement.

Soldier freed of raping National Service trainee

2009/10/28 KUALA TERENGGANU: After spending three years in jail, a military personnel was yesterday freed by the High Court of raping a National Service trainee.

Judge Datuk V. T. Singham set aside the conviction and sentence of the Sessions Court which in 2005 found Corporal Zuki Mohd guilty of raping the trainee, then 17, in a Perodua Kancil in the Rhu Tapai agricultural area in Setiu between 7.28pm and 9.10pm on Feb 28 2004.

Zuki, 34, a military personnel from Kampung Bari Besar, Setiu, was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and three strokes of the rotan.

In his judgement, Singham pointed out that the complainant had not only lodged a police report two months after the alleged rape, but could not provide a reasonable explanation for the delay, especially since it was a serious offence.

“Her excuse was that it would shame her family and her dignity if she lodged a report. If that is the case, why then was a police report lodged?” he said.

“The complainant also refused to lodge a report despite being advised to do so numerous times and only did so after two counselling sessions. Does a rape victim need two counselling sessions before deciding to report the matter?”

He said she had many opportunities to lodge a report, including during a visit to a clinic but she only complained of cough and chest pain.

Singham said it was also important to note the reactions of both Zuki and the trainee where the former was prepared to take a medical test and was willing to be investigated by police, while the girl still did not want to lodge a report. He added that their conduct was consistent with a couple who had consensual sex.

Singham said morally what the appellant did to the complainant, even with consent, may not be acceptable to society, especially since the appellant was entrusted in the care of the National Service.

“However, in a criminal trial, moral consideration has no place in determining the truth or guilt of an accused. It should not cloud the judicial finding which must be based on reliable and credible evidence produced in a trial,” he said, adding that the Sessions Court did not make sufficient judicial evaluation of the evidence presented.

Zuki, who was dressed in blue prison uniform, cupped his hands to his face and murmured a prayer the moment Singham pronounced that he was free to go and shed a few tears as he was led away from the dock.

Outside the court, relatives cried and embraced him, including his ex-wife Jailiza Jamil.

Youths contribute over 60% of crimes in T’ganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: The 15-25 age group commits over 60% of crimes in Terengganu, mostly involving theft, rape and drug abuse.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said this was due to lack of monitoring by parents.

He added that efforts were being made to inculcate good values via several campaigns.

“However, our efforts will not succeed if parents do not monitor their children’s bahaviour,” he said at a raya open house by Terengganu police contingent on Monday.

Mohd Shukri said police, with the co-operation of school principals, would launch crime prevention campaigns to educate and discipline students.

Terengganu’s crime index for the first 10 months of the year had declined 12% to 4,276 cases, compared to 4,742 cases over the corresponding period last year. — Bernama

Police on the hunt for bomoh rapist

KUALA TERENGGANU: Police are on the hunt for a bomoh who is believed to have raped a 22-year-old mentally handicapped woman under the pretext of treating her.

The suspect was believed to have raped the victim at her home in Kampung Padang Midin some time in July this year, said state CID chief Asst Comm Mohd Fauzi Abduri.

The suspect is believed to have fled after the victim’s elder brother lodged a police report upon realising that his sister was pregnant.

The victim’s family had sought the services of the bomoh in July after the latter claimed to have the power to “cure” the victim.

It is learnt the suspect conducted the “treatment” in the victim’s bedroom when the other family members were out.

Three Men Detained In Murder Of Former Wanita Umno Branch Leader

KUALA TERENGGANU, Sept 11 (Bernama)-- Police on Friday detained three suspects in the death of former Felda Mengkawang Wanita Umno leader Asimah Abdul Rahman, 51, who was found murdered last Tuesday.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said the suspects, aged between 26 and 28, were detained in a hut behind a house at Felda Mengkawang, Hulu Terengganu, at about 5.10am on Friday.

They would be remanded for seven days beginning today to assist police investigations, he said in a short messaging service sent to reporters here.

In the incident on Tuesday, Asimah was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her house in the Felda settlement. She had 11 stab wounds on her chest.

--BERNAMA

Man assaults 80-year-old aunt over RM5

KUALA TERENGGANU: An 80-year-old woman who refused to lend her nephew RM5 was assaulted with an iron rod causing the octogenarian to suffer multiple bodily injuries.

She was rushed to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here by family members who found her lying unconscious in a pool of blood in the kitchen of her kampung house at Padang Tegir, Manir, near here.

In the 9am incident, the nephew demanded money from her but she refused because he was a drug addict.

The victim’s sister-in-law, who only wanted to be known as Kak, said the victim’s nephew was enraged and left the house.

“He returned an hour later, wearing a mask and begun hitting my sister-in-law with the iron rod,” she said when met at the hospital here, yesterday.

Kak said the victim’s husband, Abas Othman, also 80 and who was at a restaurant at that time, saw the assailant dashing out from his house when he returned after breakfast.

“This is when all of us knew that the assailant was no stranger and lodged a police report,” she said.

Kak admitted that the assailant had string of criminal records and was even banished in 2006.

The victim who was warded at the critical ward was transferred to a normal ward at about 6.15pm yesterday after her condition improved.

Police later detained the assailant at the bus terminal here.-The Star

Terengganu SMS threat case re-mention

The Sessions Court has fixed Sept 17 for re-mention of a case involving a politician facing three counts of sending threatening short message service (SMS) to three Terengganu assemblymen and another on defamation.

Judge Mohamad Khalid Abdul Karim fixed the date after mention of Datuk Dr Ahmad Ramzi Mohamad Zubir's case in Kuala Terengganu today.

Ahmad Ramzi, who is political secretary to former Terengganu menteri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, faces the first charge of sending a death threat, via SMS, to Paka assemblyman Mohd Ariffin Abdullah at E726 Jalan Kubang Parit, Kampung Kubang Parit in Kuala Terengganu, at 11.21pm on April 13.

He is also charged with sending threatening text messages to Permaisuri assemblyman Abdul Halim Jusoh at the same time and place, and to Ajil assemblyman Datuk Rosol Wahid at the same place at 11.25pm, the same day.

Each offence carries a jail term of not more than two years, upon conviction.

On the fourth count, Ahmad Ramzi is alleged to have defamed Idris' senior private secretary Wan Ahamad Wan Muda by using the latter's telephone number to send the SMS containing the death threats through a website, http://ownsmsbiz.com/v1, to Mohd Ariffin, Abdul Halim and Rosol, between 11.21pm and 11.25pm on April 13 at the same place.

If found guilty, Ahmad Ramzi could be jailed for up to two years or fined, or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Shahidani Abd Aziz @ Juned appeared for the prosecution while Ahmad Ramzi was represented by defence lawyers Datuk Hazman Ahmad, Rosli Abdul Rahman and Mahamed Noor Mahmud. - BERNAMA