Rape victim appeared to be alone when lodging complaint over phone, Tronoh rep's trial told

IPOH: There was nothing to suggest that the Indonesian maid allegedly raped by Tronoh state assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong was being helped by someone when lodging her complaint over the telephone, the High Court here was told today.

Riki Sapari, 39, said this under re-examination by Perak state prosecution director Datuk Jamil Aripin on the second day of Yong's trial.

Riki received the victim's complaint at the Manpower Department of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur at about 11 am on July 8, 2019.

"There were no signs or other (background) noises when the victim spoke to me," he said when Jamil asked if there were indications that the victim was with another person when speaking to him.

Riki said the victim appeared to be crying and in a state of panic and fear when talking to him on the phone.

Riki said he recorded her complaint as sexual harassment because he thought it came under rape, adding that the matter was then referred to the police for investigation.

The next witness, Ipoh district police headquarters case exhibit store supervisor Sarjan Mejar A. Anna Francisca, took the stand this morning before hearing was adjourned to afternoon.

Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed was presiding over the case while Jamil was assisted by deputy public prosecutors Liyana Zawani Mohd Radzi and Ainul Wardah Shahidan and the defence was represented by lawyers Datuk Rajpal Singh, Salim Bashir and Phang Yong Nur Sarah.

On Dec 21 last year, the High Court here set the trial for nine days beginning March 30 this year after Yong, 51, pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping his maid at his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, 2019 between 8.15 pm and 9.15 pm, but it was postponed to yesterday.

The case had been mentioned in the Sessions Court but on Dec 15 last year the Federal Court allowed an application by the defence to transfer the case to the High Court.

Yong was first charged in the Sessions Court here on Aug 23, 2019 when he was the state Housing, Local Government, Public Transport, Non-Islamic Affairs and New Villages Committee chairman.

-- BERNAMA