PUTRAJAYA: The magistrate's court here set Sept 20 for the trial of former Road Transport Department (RTD) deputy director-general of planning and operations.
Datuk Yusoff Ayob, 58, was charged with driving a car with the registration number BLY 68 on an emergency lane, an offence under Rule 53(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, at Lingkaran Putrajaya here at 6.27pm on Oct 7 last year.
The offence came under Section 119(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for a fine of up to RM2,000, or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, if found guilty.
The trial date was decided by magistrate Syahrul Sazly Md Sain.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Izzat Fauzan said that Attorney-General's Chambers had yet to make a decision on the letter of representation sent by the defendant, therefore the mention today, was postponed.
He said if the representation was rejected, the court would continue the trial of the case next month, with two witnesses from the prosecutor's side.
Yusoff was fined RM600 last month for driving in the emergency lane in Putrajaya when he was first charged with the offence on July 18, but he failed to be present in court.
He had sent his special aide to represent him and the aide pleaded guilty to the charge.
The special officer paid the fine.
He pleaded not guilty when he was charged again at the magistrate’s court here with the same offence.
It was reported previously that the case caused an outcry among the public when Yusoff was only fined RM600 for not attending the first court proceeding.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court, however, ordered the case to be remitted to the magistrate’s court and for Yusoff to make the plea against the charge himself.
Judicial Commissioner Datuk Indera Ab Karim Ab Rahman, using his revisionary powers as a judge to review the case against Yusoff, also set aside the fine and ordered the case to be heard by a new magistrate.