Long Tiger gets 12-month jail for escaping from police custody

TANGKAK: The Rohingya man known as Long Tiger, who escaped from police custody while waiting to be charged at the Magistrate's Court here last month, was sentenced to 12-month jail for the offence by the same court today.

Magistrate Zaridah Y Abdul Jaapar handed down the sentence after Long Tiger, whose real name is Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Zaridah also ordered the man to serve the sentence at the Kluang Prison from the day of his arrest on Dec 28.

According to the charge sheet, Abdul Hamim was alleged to have intentionally escaped from police custody after being arrested legally for an offence under Section 388 of the Penal Code for extortion.

He escaped through the main gate of the court at 11.55 am on Dec 15 while waiting for his case to begin at the court and was rearrested in Sungai Petani, Kedah, on Dec 28.

Johor prosecution director Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman and deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Qaiyum Rahman appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers Datin Freda Josephine Gonzales and Muhammad Hariz Md Yusoff.

The court set Feb 14 and 16 for retention of his other cases under Section 388, Section 506 (murder threat) and Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Penal Code.

-- BERNAMA