BUTTERWORTH: A lorry driver pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate's Court today to the charge of raping his 14-year-old daughter in a hotel last October.
The 39-year-old accused made the plea after the charges were read before Magistrate Siti Zulaikha Nordin @ Ghani.
According to the charges, the accused committed the crime in a hotel room at Simpang Ampat, in the Seberang Perai Selatan district at 2.30am on Oct 30.
The accused is charged in accordance with Section 376(3) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum of 30 years in prison and a maximum of 10 strokes of the rotan.
The case was handled by the Deputy Public Prosecutor, Mohammad Syafiq Nasrullah Saleem Ali, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.
The prosecution did not offer bail for the father of five children, but the accused had applied for a minimum bail on the grounds that he needed to support his children who were still in school.
The victim lived with his ex-wife in Perak.
The court allowed the accused to be bailed at RM10,000 with one surety, apart from the additional condition of not approaching and disturbing the victim until the case is completed.
The court has set Jan 30 for mention, submission of documents and the appointment of a lawyer.