5 men released on bond on expiry of remand
Posted on August 16, 2012, Thursday
SERIAN: Five men including the headman of Kampung Danau Melikin near here were released on bond after their two-day remand expired yesterday.
The suspects aged between 58 and 41 were released about 11.30am with their family members as their bailors. No charge was preferred against them.
They had been locked up at Serian police station to facilitate police investigation after setting a bridge on fire.
Four of them are from Danau Melikin and the other from Ensebai Plaie, also in Serian.
More 200 people including family members, relatives and friends turned up at the compound of the Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
They were seen crying and hugging each other after hearing of the men’s release.
Initially, they thought the men would be charged in court after their release, so they gathered at the Magistrates’ Court here from as early as 7am.
However, after being informed that no charge would be framed against them, they proceeded to the police station.
The five men were suspected to have taken part in setting up a blockade to stop a plantation company from encroaching into their land which they claimed to be their native customary rights land.
They were also said to have burned a makeshift wooden bridge belonging to the plantation company.
At 11.45pm on Sunday a police party went to Kpg Danau Melikin to pick up the villagers after a report was made against them.
Meanwhile, state PKR vice-chairman See Chee How who is the men’s lawyer, who was also present at the court and the police station yesterday said the arrest was malicious in nature and that the five men might consider filing a lawsuit against the authority concerned.
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