KUCHING: A man charged with committing robbery claimed trial at the Sessions Court here yesterday.
Judge Dayang Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad released the accused Mohamad Hasbi Messeli on a RM5,000 cash bail pending mention of the case on March 23. However, the venue for pre-trial case management and hearing has yet to be fixed.
Hasbi, 34, allegedly snatched a gold necklace from a woman by the roadside near Asajaya sports complex at 8.20am on March 25, 2013, an offence listed under Section 392/397 of the Penal Code that may put him in jail for 20 years and whipping.
The brief fact of the case said the woman was walking alone near the complex when she was approached by a man on a motorbike, who then snatched her necklace.
She lodged a police report and soon after that the suspect, later identified as Hasbi, was arrested on the same day the alleged offence took place.
He allegedly sold the item at a goldsmith in Kota Sentosa. Hasbi later led a police party to the goldsmith to retrieve the necklace. Also seized from him was cash of RM4,000 and a motorbike with a false registration number.
He was also told by the court to engage a lawyer to defend him in the case.