Nur Syafiqah's murder case suspect pleads not guilty to two charges

The main suspect in the case of a two-year-old girl who was found murdered in a vacant house in Paka here pleaded not guilty to two charges at the Magistrates Court, Tuesday. On the first count, unemployed Soffian Hadie Mohd Nor, 35, was accused of failing to present his identity card to the police when he was detained at the Fisheries Development Board office, Kuala Paka at 1.30pm on Jan 21. As for the second count, he was charged with abusing and neglecting Nur Syafiqah Adawiyah Abdullah, 2, who was in his care, at Lot 8428, Taman Perumahan Seberang Paka Fasa 2, Paka about 3.20 pm on Jan 22. The accused, who has a prior criminal record for drug abuse faces up to 10 years imprisonment, maximum fine of RM20,000 or both, upon conviction under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. Magistrate Hazwanie Husain Bustari denied bail to the unrepresented accused, whom the prosecution may charge with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, depending on the outcome of the forensics and chemist reports. Meanwhile, the victim's mother Rabiatul Adawiyyah Mamat, 28, was also charged in the same court with lodging a false report that her child was missing, at the Paka police station at noon on Jan 18. Attired in a red dress and black scarf, the unaccompanied woman pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 192 of the Penal Code and was unable to pay the RM6,000 bail which was offered by the magistrate. The court scheduled March 5 for remention of all the charges. Deputy public prosecutor Wan Mohd Izzat Wan Abdullah led the prosecution team.