KUCHING: A habitual offender was charged with two counts of statutory rape at the Sessions Court here yesterday.
The 50-year-old accused Zen Alim, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Dayang Ellyan Narisa Abang Ahmad the judge.
He allegedly raped the same girl, a 17-year-old Indonesian, at two different locations within six hours on Sept 11 and 12.
Zen allegedly raped the minor inside a vacant house at Bamfylde Road here about 9pm. He did the same inside a house at Kenny Hill about 3am the next day.
He will be tried under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum 20 years’ jail and also liable to whipping on conviction.
Earlier, the prosecuting officer ASP Carl Patrick Ramesh, urged the court to further remand the accused considering his past criminal history, fearing that he might escape if allowed to be freed on bail.
He also proposed that if the accused were to be released on bail, a bail of RM20,000 should be imposed with two local sureties whose fixed income must not be less than RM2,500 each a month.
Ramesh also pointed out that Zen was not entitled to a plea bargaining due to the nature of the offence.
The court was also told that Zen had four convictions for theft and a conviction for murder, which, after an appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal recently, was freed.
Zen was meanwhile given a strong warning yesterday not to approach the victim and her family by any means and that he must present himself to the nearest police station once a fortnight.
Dayang Ellyn reserved Nov 21 and 28 for the trial and Oct 23 for the case management.
Zen, who appeared calm when the charges were read to him was unrepresented.