Court orders release of woman held under Poca since Dec last year

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Leong (centre) with Yap (left) outside the court following her release.

SIBU: The Sessions Court here yesterday ordered the release of a woman who has been detained under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca) since Dec 23 last year.

Judge Caroline Bee Majanil granted the release of Leong Ann Ping, 39, following a request submitted by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Arif Aizuddin Masrom who spoke on behalf of the police.

The DPP said he had been instructed that the subject be released pursuant to provisions under Sections 10(1), 10A(2)(b) and 10A(4) of Poca.

He said the Crime Prevention Board has determined under Section 10A(2)(b) that there was no sufficient ground for believing that the subject is a member of any of the registerable categories.

Meanwhile, Leong’s counsel Yap Hoi Liong told the court that his client had been verbally sexually harassed by the male suspects in the Mukah police lockup.

He said she suffered from insomnia and had headaches during her time in custody.

“The police were not responsive to the request of my client for medicine in the morning because of her headache.

“She was only supplied with the medicine at night,” said Yap, adding Leong had also suffered from diarrhea because she could not get used to the lockup food.

He urged the relevant authorities to take note of the condition at the Mukah police lockup in the interest of the public.

According to past news reports, Leong was first arrested on Nov 29 in Mukah after a police report was lodged against her on Oct 10 in connection with a housebreaking.

Following the expiry of her first remand order, the salesgirl was rearrested by police on Dec 2 on the same police report.

After her second remand order expired, the DPP communicated that no further action be taken against her, but Leong was arrested yet again on Dec 23 under Poca on the same police report.

On Dec 28, Yap filed a Certificate of Urgency to the High Court on behalf of Leong’s family to expedite the matter, and also a Notice of Motion seeking the immediate release of his client.

The counsel had said that Poca is an instrument used to deal with hardcore criminals under eight categories of offenders, something which his client was not.