KOTA BARU: A headmaster of a tahfiz centre pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here Tuesday (April 30) to five counts of sodomising his students over the past three years.
Muzaidi Mohamad, 30, entered the plea after the charges were read out to him before Judge Nik Habri Muhamad.
According to the first to fifth charges, the accused was alleged to have sodomised three students aged between 12 and 15 years old.
The accused was alleged to have committed the offence in his office at an orphanage in Bachok and in a bedroom at a tahfiz school in Machang from around 10am to 10pm between April 2021 and April this year.
Four out of the five charges involved the same two victims.
He was charged under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792), which provides a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and whipping if convicted.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad and Siti Edabayu Subhan, while the accused was represented by counsel Mohd Azrul Hasyimi Mohammad.
Ahmad Faiz Fitri urged the court not to grant bail, citing the possibility of the accused harrasing the prosecution witnesses.
Mohd Azrul Hasyimi, meanwhile, requested the lowest possible bail amount, noting that the accused has a wife and young child to support.
The court granted bail of RM15,000 for each charge with one surety and the accused was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to report to the nearest police station every month.
The court fixed May 29 for mention and submission of documents. - Bernama
