Crime & Courts

Fourteen charged with being 'Chandra Gang' members [NSTTV]

GEORGE TOWN: Fourteen people, including two women and a Bangladeshi national, were charged under the Security Offences and Special Measures Act (Sosma) for their alleged involvement in organised criminal activities.

All of them nodded to indicate they understood the charge which was read to them separately by the court interpreter before Judge Mazdi Abdul Hamid.

However, no plea was recorded.

The 14 members, aged between 30 and 61, were A. Santheran; Mohd Azli Sham Che Azemi; C. Maria Prakit; S. Boharaj; Mohamad Fithri Mohamed; Marzuki Osman; Milon Masud; K. Subramaniam; A. Balasubramaniam; Rosman Mohd Ismail; S. Puspakaren; A. Raymond; Noor Wadia Aziz; and Mohd Fitri Odus.

They were alleged to be members of organised crime gang "Chandra Gang" between January 2016 and March 12, 2021.

The offence under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code carries a jail term of at least five years and not more than 20 years.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohd Fakhrurazi Ahmad Salim, Saifuddin Rafaie and Rohaiza Abdul Rahim prosecuted while six of the accused were represented by counsels Ahmad Abdullah and Husaini Abdul Rashid.

The six were Santheran; Maria Prakit; Balasubramaniam; Subramaniam; Boharaj; and Raymond.

Counsel Mohd Khairul Fairus Rahman represented Mohd Fitri.

Saifuddin told the court that no bail was offered.

He also urged the court to fix a date for mention for submission of documents.

Meanwhile, Mohd Khairul urged the court to grant his client bail, saying he was not a flight risk.

"My client is 39-years-old and works as a farm caretaker as well as fisherman. His income is not fixed.

"My client also has to fend for his ailing mother and a sibling, with three children. In his absence, his family will face difficulty," he said.

He also added that there were other similar cases heard in the High Court where bail was granted.

"I will leave it to the court's discretion to decide on the bail," he added.

Fakhrurazi, meanwhile, said the Sessions Court had no jurisdiction to grant bail since this is a security offence.

Mazdi denied bail for all of the accused and fixed Aug 5 for mention of the case.

Most Popular
Related Article
Says Stories