Prosecution withdraws appeal against ex-coach's acquittal of rape charge

Former national diving coach Huang Qiang remains a free man after the prosecution withdrew its appeal in the Court of Appeal against his acquittal of a charge of raping a diving athlete.

Deputy public prosecutor Hanim Mohd Rashid informed the three-member panel today that the prosecution was withdrawing its appeal against Huang's acquittal.

She told the court that the prosecution filed a notice of discontinuance of the appeal on July 2.

Justice Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said who chaired the panel subsequently struck out the appeal.

The other two judges presiding on the panel were Datuk Azizah Nawawi and Datuk Wira Ahmad Nasfy Yasin.

Huang, 38, from China was charged in the Sessions Court with raping the victim, a national diver who was aged 20 years then, at a dry gym at the National Aquatics Centre, Bukit Jalil Sports Complex, Sri Petaling, here, at about 5.30 pm on Sept 26, 2017.

On April 9, 2018, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Huang without calling him to enter his defence after the court found that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

He was subsequently ordered to enter his defence after the High Court allowed an appeal by the prosecution against his acquittal.

However, he was freed again on Jan 31, last year, after he succeeded in raising a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

On Feb 20, this year, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed the prosecution's appeal against Huang's acquittal and upheld the Sessions Court's decision which acquitted and discharged him (Huang).

Huang was represented by lawyer Mohd Hisham Md Nen.

-- BERNAMA