2007 05: Bomoh wins molest appeal

NST online. Local News. 19/05/07

IPOH: A 69-year-old bomoh walked out of the High Court a free man yesterday after winning his appeal against conviction, on a charge of molesting a young girl in 1997.

Judicial commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim quashed Abu Bedor Jamin’s conviction and set aside his 14-month jail sentence meted out by a magistrate’s court five years ago. The appellant was represented by Charan Singh.

The Parit magistrate’s court in May 2002 had found Abu Bedor guilty of molesting a young girl at his house in Kampung Bekong, Lambor Kiri in Bota on July 6, 1997.

The victim was then 18 years old. At the High Court yesterday, Ridwan said the charge of outraging the modesty of the girl brought against the appellant was doubtful.

"The prosecution’s case had various gaps such as failure to produce two material witnesses during the hearing. The chain of evidence was broken, which weakened the case against the appellant," he said, referring to the prosecution’s decision not to call the victim’s boyfriend and the investigating officer to take the stand.

Ridwan said the victim’s claims were also not corroborated by other witnesses and the girl had contradicted herself in her testimony.