Corpun file 20005

Borneo Post, Kuching, 5 February 2008

12 years for raping friend's wife

26-year-old convict who will also be whipped three times to serve term from remand date last Oct 8

KUCHING: A 26-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years' jail and three strokes of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to raping his friend's wife.

The Sessions Court judge Alwi Abdul Wahab ruled that the accused must serve his sentence from the date of his remand -- Oct 8, last year.

The brief facts of the case, which was presented by the prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Carl Patrick Ramesh, stated that Saptu Lawrance Buguk from Kampung Senah Negeri (Annah Rais) in Jalan Padawan had entered his friend's house, holding a machete which he then placed on the chair near the doorway.

He then forcibly dragged his friend out of the house and locked the door. Once his friend was out of sight, he then proceeded to the kitchen when his friend's wife was cooking. He forced her into the bathroom and raped her.

When he had satisfied his lust he quickly left the house.

Curious, the judge asked him: When you locked him (husband) out, what did he do?

Saptu: He did not do anything.

Judge: You mean he just kept quiet after what you did to his wife? Are you a friend of the couple?

Saptu: They are all my friends.

When the judge asked if he had been to the house before, Saptu said: "Yes.  But the husband doesn't mix around with other people except me. I know the family very well".

A party from Tapah police station arrested Saptu at 1.45pm on Oct 2, last year.

A doctor at the Sarawak General Hospital meanwhile examined the woman on the day the offence was committed, and confirmed there was a fresh tear in her private part 'caused by blunt penetration'.

The offence was committed between 6.30pm and 6.45pm on Sept 29, last year.

When the case was first heard Saptu was released on RM15,000 bail in two sureties who must have fixed income of at least RM2,000 and must also have fixed address.

Rape, which comes under Section 376 of the Penal Code, is punishable with not less than five years' jail but not more than 20 years, and whipping.

Copyright 2008 © The Borneo Post Sdn Bhd. All rights Reserved.

Corpun file 20035

New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, 17 February 2008

Jail and rotan for rape

IPOH: The wife of a 23-year-old factory worker charged with raping a young girl burst into tears immediately after he was found guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday. Judge Rashidah Chik sentenced Mohd Darwis Saleh to eight years' jail and six lashes of the rotan.

The wife, also 23, could not hold back her tears and sobbed uncontrollably when sentence was passed.

Mohd Darwis was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl at a rubber plantation in Kampung Simpang 3, Parit, between 6.30am and 9am on Feb 3, 2005. He was arrested four days later.

Counsel Ranjeet Singh Sandhu pleaded for Mohd Darwis to be placed under a bond of good behaviour as the accused had repented. Deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Anas Mahadzir, however, pressed for the maximum sentence.

Rashidah allowed a stay of execution pending an appeal to the High Court and granted Mohd Darwis RM10,000 bail in one surety.

© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.

Corpun file 20051

The Star, Kuala Lumpur, 23 February 2008

Jail and whipping for bouncer who cheated businessman

By M. Mageswari

KUALA LUMPUR: A bouncer was jailed five years and ordered to be whipped five times for cheating a businessman of RM105,700 by posing as a senior police officer who could get his brother-in-law off a drug charge.

M. Pragasan, 39, of Kepong, was convicted of inducing N. Muralidharan, 41, of parting with his money between Sept 28, 2002 and Nov 20, 2002, so as to free his brother-in-law B. Mohana Dhass, 58, from a drug trafficking charge.

Pragasan, tried together with businessman Mohd Khiruddin Borhan, 42, had his jail term backdated to the date of his remand on Oct 24 last year.

In mitigation, defence counsel Firuz Jaffril said his client had regretted his actions and that he had to take care of his wife and two children.

DPP Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud replied that the accused had impersonated a "Chief Insp Ravi" from the serious crimes division for the scam.

"The accused's actions has caused C/Insp Ravi to endure slanderous remarks and to be left in the same post unlike his colleagues who got promoted," he said.

In sentencing, Sessions Court judge Rosenani Abd Rahman noted that Pragasan had only changed his plea after he had been ordered to make his defence.

"Your actions have tarnished the image of the court, prosecution and police. This cannot be taken lightly."

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