PUTRAJAYA (Sept 18): A businessman, who is also a member of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holding (GISB), pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here on Wednesday to a charge of making criminal threats against a woman on Sept 9.

The accused, Mohamad Riza Makar, 39, entered the plea after the charge was read out before Magistrate Ahmad Afiq Hasan.

Mohamad Riza was charged with criminally intimidating the 25-year-old woman, a former GISB member, to cause fear, so that she would withdraw a police report that she had filed.

The offence was allegedly committed at a parking lot in Precinct 4 here at about 10pm on Sept 9.

The accused, who has three wives and 10 children, is alleged to have threatened the woman by saying, “We’ll wait; we know where your house, husband and family are”.

The offence, under Section 506 of the Penal Code, carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman, while the accused was represented by lawyer Zulfikri Ulul Azmin.

Mohd Sabri proposed a bail of RM30,000 in two local sureties, along with additional conditions that the accused should not approach or contact the complainant (the woman), that he should surrender his passport to the court, and report to the nearest police station in the first week of each month.

However, Zulfikri appealed to the court to set a more reasonable bail amount, arguing that the threat was minor and not a serious offence, and that RM30,000 was beyond the accused’s means.

The accused requested the court to reduce his bail, as his wife had just given birth, and he needs to provide for his children’s expenses.

Ahmad Afiq then allowed the accused to be released on a RM10,000 bail in one surety, and set the condition that the accused must not disturb, approach or contact the complainant throughout the trial. He is also required to report to a police station in the first week of every month. 

The court set Oct 18 this year for mention.

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