Six recaptured fugitives plead not guilty to escaping detention
BAHAU: Six remand detainees who escaped from the Jelebu Drug Rehabilitation Institute on April 10 have pleaded not guilty to the charge at a Magistrate’s Court here.
Sohaimi Khalid, 50, Mohd Zairizan Zainal, 42, Shazuan Md Sharif, 32, Mazlan Samah, 39, Mohammad Aminuddin Khan Mohd Yusof, 28 and Indonesian Zainuddin, 62, claimed trial to the charge before Magistrate Muhammad Hidayat Wahab on Monday (April 18).
The six, who were initially under remand for murder and drug trafficking offences, allegedly committed the offence at around 2pm on the day in question.
They were jointly charged under Section 224 of the Penal Code for escaping from custody, read together with Section 34 of the same legislation on liability in a criminal act committed jointly.
Offenders can be jailed for up to two years or fined or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Loqman Hakim Ahmad Khairie then asked the court not to allow bail as the accused were facing other non-bailable offences under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act and Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The court denied the accused bail and fixed May 12 for next mention.
The police had earlier said that the six, with another individual still at large, are believed to have escaped through a hole in the ceiling of the facility’s Muhasabah 2 block, and later through another hole in the fence, which is believed to have been cut with wire cutters.
Sohaimi was the first to be rearrested at about 7pm the same day.
He was found hiding in an oil palm smallholding in Kangkoi some 2km from the institute located at the Jelebu prison.
Mohd Zairizan Zainal was caught the following morning in Kg Petasih Tengah in Pertang while Shazuan Md Sharif was the third to be caught in Sg Muntoh in Titi on April 12.
Zainuddin was captured along with Mazlan and Mohammad Aminuddin Khan in a jungle along Jalan Purun in Kuala Klawang the following day.
Zairizan is the only one facing a murder charge.
With the arrests, there remains only one more prisoner, Muhammad Syafiq Rohmat, also known as Umai, still at large.