Tahfiz school principal claims trial to molesting, sexually stimulating male students

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Azman (left) is facing multiple charges in court on cases concerning his male students.

MIRI: An ustaz who is also a principal of a tahfiz school here pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court this morning to multiple charges of sexual abuse offences against his students.

Azman Yahya, 35, from Lutong is facing three charges of sexually stimulating a male student and six charges of molesting three male students.

All charges were read separately in four cases against the accused.

Azman is facing three charges under Section 377E of the Penal Code which carries a jail term between three to 15 years and whipping upon conviction.

Based on the charge, Azman was accused of three accounts of sexually stimulating a 14-year-old boy with sexual intention. All three offences were allegedly committed at 10.30pm in February, 2016; 9am in November, 2016 and May, 2017 at the office of a tahfiz school in Batu Telingai, Suai, Niah.

In the second case, Azman is facing two charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

For these offences, the accused can be jailed up to 20 years and whipped upon conviction.

Based on the case, the accused allegedly molested a 14-year-old boy by touching him on his body twice. Both offences were allegedly committed at 5pm in February this year and 6pm on June 18 this year at the office of the tahfiz school.

Meanwhile in the third case, the accused allegedly committed similar offences by touching the body of a 12-year-old boy twice. Both offences were allegedly committed by the accused at 10am, in July this year and in August, 2018. He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

For the fourth case, Azman was accused under the same act for allegedly molesting a 15-year and one-month-old boy by touching the victim’s body twice. He allegedly committed the offences at 9pm in January this year and 9am on April 28 this year at the same tahfiz’s office.

After hearing the accused’s not guilty plea, the court then set Aug 23 for the cases’ management.

The accused was granted RM12,000 bail with four local sureties while awaiting the date.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Aftal Mariz prosecuted in front of Judge Steve Ritikos while the accused was represented by defence counsel Shikh Rajjish.