KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — A police officer with the rank of corporal pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate's Court today to a charge of assisting a murder suspect to escape last month.
Mohd Syhrulazlan Mohd Safri, 35, was charged with negligently and intentionally assisting Mohd Hafeez Ali, 45, who was involved in an offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code, to escape arrest at a playground near a condominium in Gombak at 12.15am on June 29.
The charge read out before Magistrate Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim is under Section 221 (a) of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail sentence of seven years or a fine, if convicted.
The court allowed the accused bail of RM7,000 with one surety, subject to the additional condition that he must report to the nearest police station once a month. The matter was set for mention on September 10.
In the same court, Hafeez was charged with murdering Muhammad Umar Abdul Jalil, 38, at a premise near the same condominium at 11.45pm on June 28, under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries a death sentence or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and 12 strokes of the cane, if convicted.
No plea was recorded from the accused for the murder case as it comes under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Meanwhile, Hafeez's friend Noor Azzly Hisham Sabtu, 47, was charged with throwing away the knife used to stab the deceased (Umar) with the intention of protecting the accused from legal action and punishment at a premises near the same condominium at 11.45pm on June 28.
The charge was brought under Section 201 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment and a fine, if convicted.
Another friend, N. Jayashanthan, 50, was charged with intentionally shielding Hafeez from legal action and punishment under Section 302 of the Penal Code at 11.45 pm at the same location.
He was charged under Section 212 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of five years and a fine if convicted.
The court granted bail to Azzly and Jayashanthan at RM8,000 and RM8,500, respectively, with the same additional conditions, and set the same date (September 10) for mention of all the cases.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Iman Nurhidayah Ezani prosecuted.
— Bernama
