KLUANG: Four debt collectors have been charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with humiliating a 66-year-old man and causing a public disturbance.
The accused, K. Sri Murugan, 28; Ngoo Yu Tung, 27; S. Chandran, 41; and Mohamad Amir Yusuf Suyitno, 29, denied committing the actions, which allegedly took place in front of a house in Jalan Gunung Lambak, Taman Gunung Lambak, here at around 5pm on Oct 23.
They were accused of intentionally humiliating and angering Chong Kong Nam, who is the father of a debtor, with the knowledge that such actions would breach public peace.
They were jointly charged for the offence under Section 504 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Code and all four pleaded not guilty.
Upon conviction, they could face a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both.
Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno set bail at RM5,000 with one surety for each of the accused and ordered them to report to the nearest police station every month.
The court also fixed Jan 2 next year for the next mention of the case.
The prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurfara Fazilun Izylin Ahmad.
The Star previously reported that a Singaporean businessman decided to hire debt collectors who used strongarm tactics in an effort to recover money from his Malaysian business partner whose family is based in Kluang.
It was learnt that the businessman had invested more than RM120,000 in a company servicing air-conditioners that operated in Singapore, which was run by the Malaysian.
After failing to regain his investment from the Malaysian, the Singaporean hired debt collectors to harass the former’s family at their home in a quiet neighbourhood in Kluang.
In a video that went viral after the incident, four men were seen using loudhailers outside of the house in an attempt to persuade the Malaysian man to come out and negotiate a settlement.
The men spoke in Malay and in Chinese and even put up a banner in front of the house.
