Kuala lumpur: Two friends pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of gang robbery against property belonging to a female Chinese national, involving losses amounting to RM2.1 million, last month. Mohd Syaqir Mohd Ami, 30, and Nur Mohamed Mahsar Mohamed Nor, 34, were jointly charged with two other individuals who are still at large with committing gang robbery against property belonging to Chen Kexue, 31.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the assets allegedly stolen include a branded wristwatch worth RM1.2 million, three gold bars weighing 300 grammes, RM100,000 in cash, and five mobile phones of various brands, with an estimated total loss of RM2,146,000. The incident reportedly took place at a villa in Bukit Damansara at 10.10 pm on July 21. The charge filed under Section 395 of the Penal Code provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and whipping if convicted.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nidzuan Abdul Latif did not offer bail due to the non-bailable nature of the offence and requested the court to consider the seriousness of the crime, which involved significant losses. He expressed concerns about the risk of the accused fleeing, noting that one of the accused attempted to escape during the arrest. However, he mentioned that if bail were to be granted, it should be set at RM60,000 for each accused, with the additional requirement that they report to the nearest police station and surrender their passports to the court.
Lawyer Hazwan Hassan, representing the two men, requested the court to grant his clients bail between RM10,000 and RM15,000 with certain additional conditions, arguing that bail is only to ensure the accused's attendance in court. He highlighted that Mohd Syaqir, a salesman earning RM2,000 per month, supports his mother, who has stage four cancer, and has himself just recovered from paralysis following an accident in August last year. Meanwhile, Nur Mohamed Mahsar, also a salesman earning RM2,000 a month, supports his wife and two young children. The lawyer contended that there was no risk of the two accused fleeing.
Judge Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin set the case mention for September 30, granting bail of RM15,000 to each accused, along with the additional conditions requested by the prosecution.