KUCHING: A 24-year-old man from Miri accused of raping an underaged girl at a hotel here last year will be tried on March 27- 28.
Ary Kurniawan Mustapa who maintained his innocence appeared before Sessions Court judge Afidah Abdul Rahman who released him on RM10,000 court bail with two local sureties.
The court also fixed Feb 10 for the pre-trial case management.
Ary allegedly raped the student from Balai Ringin, who was 15 years old then, at a hotel here about 9pm on Dec 16 last year.
According to prosecution officer ASP Carl Patrick Ramesh, they only got to know each other through social networking site Facebook for three days. They then decided to meet each other here in Kuching where the offence was committed.
During the girl’s visit here, she was staying with her grandmother, whom she related the (rape) incident to.
Thereafter, the grandmother told her parents who then proceeded to lodge a police report.
Ary will be tried under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 376 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum 30 years imprisonment and liable for whipping on conviction.
In the same courtroom, a 21-year-old man who pleaded guilty to possessing poison was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
Judge Afidah ordered Nazri Saimi from Petra Jaya to serve the sentence consecutively with his five years’ jail term for gang robbery.
He was charged under Section 9(3) of the Poison Act 1952 and punishable under Section 32(2) of the same Act.
According to the brief facts of the case, a team of policemen arrested Nazri at Lorong Cathay here about 3.40pm on March 11 last year.
During the arrest, police found a packet containing 20 white pills in his pocket.
Analysis revealed that the pills contained dextromethorphan which was clearly labelled on the package as poison. He was sentenced to five years’ jail for gang robbery on July 29 last year.
ASP Carl Patrick Ramesh prosecuted.