SEREMBAN, Jan 9 — A 63-year-old man pleaded not guilty at the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital today to five charges related to the improvised explosive device (IED) case in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan last month.
Yeoh Hock Sun, 63, made the plea before Sessions Court Judge Datin Surita Budin during proceedings conducted in English and Mandarin in the patient ward, as the accused was still receiving treatment.
According to the charge, he was charged with possessing explosives in a manner that gave rise to a reasonable suspicion with the intent to cause injury at Apartment Desa Palma, Nilai, at 12.30pm on December 22.
Yeoh was also in possession of explosives that were found in a Proton Wira at the Star Valley parking lot, Nilai, at 7.30pm on the same day, and on the side of the main road in Kampung Batang Benar, Mantin, in Nilai at 4.15pm on December 27.
The accused was found guilty of an offence under Section 3 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, which provides for a prison sentence of not more than seven years and whipping.
For the next charge, he was found guilty of mischief by using the explosives to cause damage to a Mitsubishi L200 Triton vehicle belonging to a 47-year-old man in the parking area of Apartment Desa Palma, at 5.55am on December 22.
Yeoh was found guilty of the offence under Section 435 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 14 years and a fine.
He was also charged with maliciously using an improvised explosive device to cause injury at 5.55am, Dec 22.
The accused was found guilty of the offence under Section 4 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, which provides for imprisonment not exceeding three years and whipping.
The case was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni, while Yeoh was not represented by a lawyer. The judge ruled that no bail should be granted, and the case will be mentioned again on February 12.
The media previously reported that the police found a suspected IED following an explosion in the Desa Palma area after receiving a report from the public about an explosive object and nails scattered in the area at 7.08am on December 22.
