The Sessions Court here today has set July 8 for a re-mention of a case involving a police inspector charged with eight counts of rape and one count of outraging the modesty of two Mongolian women.

Judge Norshila Kamaruddin set the date after deputy public prosecutor Hafizah Zahidah Abdullah informed the court that the prosecuting team was waiting for an instruction from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to combine all cases faced by the accused, Hazrul Hizham Ghazali.

“We are still waiting for the instruction from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to combine these cases (outraging of modesty and rape) as well as the cases under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 faced by the accused to be tried concurrently and also there are several documents that are still incomplete,” said Hafizah Zahidah.

Earlier, lawyer Akmal Jusoh who represented Hazrul Hizham, 30, informed the court that her client, who is being detained at the Sungai Buloh Prison, was unable to be present in court today following a positive COVID-19 infection of a foreign inmate at the prison.

On April 30, Hazrul Hizham pleaded not guilty to eight charges of raping two Mongolian women aged 20 and 30, by misusing his position as a police officer in order to get the victims’ consent.

The offence was allegedly committed in two separate rooms at the PJ Luxe Boutique Hotel, here, between 12.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on April 11 under Section 376(2)(f) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and caning, upon conviction.

For the offence of outraging of modesty, he is accused of using criminal force on the first victim with intent to outrage her modesty in the tent set up for personnel at a roadblock at NPE Toll Plaza, PJS2, here, between 5.30 pm and 6.15 pm, on April 10 according to Section 354 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or a fine or caning or any two of the penalties.

On April 29, the accused was charged at the Klang Sessions Court for the allegation of trafficking the two women to be exploited for sex under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants 2007.

-- BERNAMA