July 16: Mention of rape case involving Tronoh assemblyman

Judge Harith Mohamed Yasin set the date during the case management today after Yong’s lawyer, Farhan Sapian, informed the court that the defence was still awaiting for the Federal Court’s decision on its appeal to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

However, the prosecution, conducted by deputy public prosecutor Naidatul Athirah Azman requested the court to fix the trial dates as the case had been postponed several times.

“This case is under the government staff code. It has nearly been a year, but the trial has yet to start and the victim is still under protection,” she said.

On Aug 23 last year, Yong, who is former Perak Housing, Local Government, Public Transport, Non-Muslim Affairs and New Villages Committee chairman, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court to raping an Indonesian maid at a house in Meru Desa Park, between 8.15 pm and 9.15 pm on July 7, 2019.

Following which, on Dec 5, Sessions Court judge Norashima Khalid set Feb 10 to 14, 2020 to hear the case.

Prior to that, on Nov 28, Yong filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the Ipoh High Court’s decision, made on Nov 26, in dismissing his application to transfer the case to the High Court.

On Feb 10 this year, the Court of Appeal dismissed the application on grounds that there was no appealable error by the High Court judicial commissioner in refusing Yong's application to transfer the case to the High Court.

Yong filed an appeal at the Federal Court against the Court of appeal’s decision and the matter is still pending.