Kuala lumpur: A prosecution witness in the sexual harassment trial involving Ebit Erawan Ibrahim Lew, widely known as Ebit Lew, informed the Magistrate's Court that Lew had claimed his mobile phone was damaged and its whereabouts were unknown.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 18th prosecution witness, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Investigating Officer Supt Noor Asyikin Shamsuri, 46, stated that investigations into Senior Digital Forensic Consultant of LGMS Berhad, Hoo Kah Yan, on November 11, 2022, revealed that the phone had been sent by Lew to LGMS Berhad for analysis. The analysis involved keyword searching, WhatsApp chat extraction, and image extraction from the device.

Noor Asyikin noted that the police sent a formal request letter on November 21, 2022, to Lew's legal representatives, Messrs Ram Singh and Co., asking Lew to hand over the phone within three days or by November 24, 2022. On November 22, 2022, the police received an email from the law firm stating that Lew informed them the phone had gone missing after the forensic analysis report on it was completed.

She further mentioned that on November 30, 2022, she, together with ASP Siti Nooraini Mohd Sahid and ASP Norfazliyani Zolkapeli, visited the LGMS office to record witness statements and collect evidence, specifically the extraction data from Lew's mobile phone performed by LGMS.

The prosecution team comprises Deputy Public Prosecutors Nor Azizah Mohamad, Analia Kamaruddin, and Muhammad Hidayat Wahab, while Lew is defended by counsel Datuk Ram Singh, Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki, and Prabjit Singh Gill.

Ebit Lew, 38, is facing 11 charges, including outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words and images via WhatsApp between March and June 2021. These charges fall under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which can result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine, or both, if convicted.

The trial, overseen by Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani, is set to continue tomorrow.