PETALING JAYA: A teacher pleaded not guilty at the Ampang sessions court today to two charges of physical sexual assault against a female pupil in a school canteen last month.
Saufi Jama’in, 45, was accused of committing the offences against a nine-year-old girl at the teachers’ dining area of a primary school canteen near Kuala Lumpur, on the morning of May 5 and May 7, Bernama reported.
The charges were framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
Section 14(a) provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction. Under Section 16, the accused faces an additional punishment of up to five years’ imprisonment and not less than two strokes of the cane if found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutor Hairuliqram Hairuddin proposed bail of RM20,000 with one surety for both charges, along with additional conditions requiring the accused to report to a police station once a month and prohibiting him from contacting the victim or witnesses.
Lawyer Francis Pereira, representing Saufi, appealed for bail of RM4,000 for each charge, citing that his client had worked as a teacher for nearly 20 years, supports four children, and suffers from high blood pressure.
“The accused has no criminal record and has never faced disciplinary action throughout his service. He also cooperated fully with the police and poses no flight risk,” he said.
Judge Ho Kwong Chin granted bail of RM12,000 with one surety for both charges and allowed the additional conditions sought by the prosecution.
The court fixed Aug 4 for case mention.
