By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, March 12: A habitual offender who is suspected to be involved in numerous robbery cases here was again charged with robbery and voluntarily causing hurt to a woman here today.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge, so Sessions Court Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd Yusoff set April 12 for pre-trial case management.
Mohd Taufik allowed Rufika Mohd Hamdan, 38, to be released on a cash bail of RM10,000 with two local sureties with income of not less than RM3,500.
Rufika was charged under Section 394 of the Penal Code, to be read together with Section 34 of the same Code, for committing gang robbery and causing hurt with another person still at large to a 49-year-old woman at the rooftop carpark of Emart Batu Kawa on Feb 20, 2019, at about 9.15pm.
Section 394 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term that may extend to 20 years and liable to fine or whipping.
According to the facts of the case, Rufika and his accomplice had robbed their victim, who works as a supervisor at Megaland Emart Batu Kawa, of her mobile phone, but when one of them tried to relieve her of her handbag, he failed when the victim screamed for help.
Rufika has 9 criminal records: One case under Section 324 of the Penal Code, 2 cases under Section 394 of the Penal Code, 1 case under Section 385, 2 cases under Section 380 of the Penal Code, 1 case under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code and 2 cases under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali prosecuted, while the accused was not represented. — DayakDaily
