KOTA KINABALU: A lawyer acting for restaurant manager Riduan Masmud, who allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl, has called on all parties concerned to immediately cease making any speculative, unfounded and slanderous statements that may be prejudicial to his client.
Loretto Padua Jr said, his client finds it extremely unfair that he has been “tried by the media and found guilty by the readers” even before the trial in court has begun.
“He (Riduan), believes he is innocent until proven guilty by the court of law and this is the unequivocal principle of our criminal justice system to which every accused person in a criminal case is entitled to,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Loretto said, his client also finds it extremely prejudicial that the Public Prosecutor has gone public with the revelation and introduction of some evidence that is now said to be still under investigation at this stage when he has already faced the charge in court.
“Such coercion has put tremendous pressure not only on him (Riduan) but also on members of his family who have been asked to give further evidence. Any collection of evidence at this stage by the authorities is inadmissible,” he added.
According to him further, Riduan has not at any time before this made any statement to any members of the media concerning his case.
“My client therefore reserves his rights to commence legal action in the matters thereof,” Loretto cautioned.
40-year-old Riduan, a father of four, was charged in the Sessions Court here on Feb 28 with allegedly raping the girl inside a car parked by the roadside in Inanam at about 10 am on Feb 18 this year. He later declared that he had married the girl whom he met through Facebook, with the consent of her father, in the midst of the case.
Court judge Ummu Kalthom Abd Samad has given the Federal Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) until June 6 to decide whether to proceed with the case.
On May 7, DPP Ahmad Nazmeen Zulkifli had told the court that he had no objection to the case being withdrawn after the girl retracted the rape report that was lodged on April 18. However, another DPP Chaw Siang Kong told the court on Monday that he needed time to review the case as it involved public interest.
On Wednesday, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the AGC had not dropped the matter and that the prosecution would proceed with the case.