A 30-year-old Brunei national residing in Sabah was recently sentenced to a total of 22 years imprisonment and six strokes of the cane by the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court for two charges of raping a Sabahan woman last year.
According to a report published in the Sarawak edition of the Borneo Post yesterday, evidence presented during the trial had shown that Ak Shukur was guilty of raping a 20-year-old woman twice at different times and location after imperso-nating a bomoh (faith healer).
The offences were committed July 13 last year at the Jasa Ria Hotel in Beaufort and Ho Hin Chang Hotel in Sipitang the next day. Details of the case stated that Ak Shukur was first brought to trial on November 10 - 12 this year in Sipitang where eight witnesses were called in to testify.
As a result, the case was then forwarded to Kota Kinabalu Sessions court for ruling on December 12 where defence was heard the following day. Pleading for his defence on behalf of Counsel Ram Singh who represented Ak Shukur was Defence Counsel Serena Liew, who called for leniency in the ruling as the accused is married and has two young children aged five and 14 months to support.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Niat Andy urged the court to hand down a deterrent sentence as the prosecution had proven that Ak Shukur was guilty of the two charges beyond reasonable doubt and that it would bring a negative impact not only to the victim's mentality but also towards the community if a jail sentence was not passed given the severity of the case.
In his reserved judgment, Court Judge Ravintran N Paramaguru convicted Ak Shukur after finding him guilty of both charges, sentencing him to 11 years imprisonment and three strokes of the cane. The report added that the judge had also allowed him to serve the prison terms con-currently.
Execution of the sentences were temporarily suspended pending Ak Shukur's appeal against the decision to the High Court and the bail was set at RM10,000 until disposal of the appeal following an application from his defence counsel, the report added.
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