Three labourers, including a pair of brothers, were charged at the Johor Baru Sessions Court with raping an underaged girl in early August.
JOHOR BARU: Three labourers were charged at the Sessions Court here with raping an underaged girl earlier this month.
Najib Hashim, 22, his brother Muhammad Nazim Hashim, 18, and their friend Mohamad Rizuan Semail, 18, pleaded not guilty to committing the act on a 15-year-old girl in Bandar Baru Uda here.
Based on the charge sheet, the siblings allegedly raped the victim in a green vehicle by the roadside in Bandar Baru Uda at around 9pm on Aug 4.
Mohamad Rizuan was slapped with two counts of raping the same victim in a house in Bandar Baru Uda at around 9pm on Aug 5 and 10pm on Aug 6.
All three men were charged under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and caning upon conviction.
In submissions for bail before Sessions Court judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman, Zureen Jaesleen Mohamad Hanafiah - who represented all three accussed - appealed to the court for a lower bail.
The prosecution was represented by deputy public posecutor Nur Farah Wahida Shahudin.
She said that they are working as contracted labourers with a monthly salary of RM1,000 and added that they also have to care for their families including parents and younger siblings who are still in school.
Judge Siti Noraida then allowed Najib and Muhammad Nazim a bail of RM15,000 each while Mohamad Rizuan was given a bail of RM24,000 for both the charges against him.
She also ordered the three to hand their passports to the court, report to the nearest police station once a month and directed they must also not go near or disturb the case witnesses.
The court set Oct 18 for next mention and submission of documents.
