KUCHING: A man accused of raping a minor walked free yesterday because the prosecuting officer was unable to proceed with the case.The Sessions Court judge discharged and acquitted the 19-year-old suspect after the prosecution was unable to proceed as no subpoena was applied for witnesses.
The accused allegedly raped the girl in a room at a Batu Kawah new township building at about 4pm last June 20 and had been charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge drawn against him last Dec 23.
The accused was not represented by counsel.
In unrelated case, a woman was further remanded in police custody for six days to help investigation in a drug trafficking case.
According to the investigation, the police team found Syabu buried near a house where they detained the woman at the Stampin Resettlement Scheme at Muara Tebas.
The investigating officer had applied for a seven-day remand order under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for recording of caution statement on April 20, as the release of the suspect could jeopardise police investigation.
She was apprehended under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The magistrate ordered the suspect to be produced in court on May 3 for further mention of the case.