KUCHING: Twenty-three individuals charged with being members of an organised criminal group pleaded not guilty when their case was called before the High Court here today.
The accused, aged between 19 and 44, entered their pleas before High Court judges Amelati Parnell and Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah.
They were charged with involvement in an organised criminal group between December 2021 and April this year.
All 23 are alleged to have committed the offence at an oil palm plantation in Kampung Temaga Cina/Dayak, Sematan, where they were allegedly involved in an organised criminal group known as Geng 24 Hung-Hung.
The charge was framed under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of not less than five years and up to 20 years upon conviction.
The case was previously transferred to the High Court from the Sessions Court after the prosecution obtained permission under Section 177A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court fixed July 23 for the next mention and ordered that all accused be remanded in prison pending the hearing.
Bail was denied to all accused pursuant to Section 13(1) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).
The court also allowed the prosecution’s application for the cases to be jointly tried. The High Court judge who will preside over the joint trial will be determined on July 23.
The prosecution was conducted separately by Deputy Public Prosecutors Shafiq Hasim and Mohammad Mustaffa P Kunyalam.
The accused are represented by counsels Patrick Voon, Ralph Lee, Daniel Ling, Tiong Ing Neng, Alex Kong, Ronbir Singh and Datuk Shankar Ram.
Last month, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) announced that it had crippled an organised crime group allegedly involved in violent offences across Sarawak through a special operation codenamed “Op Pusak Merah”.
The operation, led by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in collaboration with the Sarawak police contingent (IPK), targeted a syndicate involved in crimes such as robbery causing injury, arson, grievous hurt, rioting with weapons and extortion.
Bukit Aman CID director Datuk M Kumar S Muthuvelu said the group was led by a 41-year-old local man and comprised 26 members aged between 19 and 44, most of whom are repeat offenders. The syndicate has reportedly been active since 2020.
“Between April 19 and 23, a total of 23 local suspects were arrested. All are currently being remanded under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) until May 18,”
