A 19-year-old man pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to attempting to kill a man by running him over with a car during an armed riot in Air Itam on Aug 29.
Lim Boon Sik entered the plea after the charge was read before Judge Juraidah Abbas.
According to the charge, Lim allegedly drove a Perodua Axia into Yeap Jhun Ee, 25, knowing that the act could cause the victim’s death.
The incident allegedly took place at Jalan Paya Terubong 3, Block B, Bandar Baru, at about 12.30am on Aug 29.
Lim was charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine upon conviction. If the act causes injury, the offender may face life imprisonment or up to 20 years in jail.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Anuarul Hakim Abdul Muen sought RM10,000 bail and additional conditions requiring Lim to report to a nearby police station and refrain from contacting or interfering with the victim or prosecution witnesses.
However, defence lawyer Tan, who represented Lim, asked for a lower bail amount, saying his client was young, had a permanent address in the state and was not a flight risk.
The lawyer also said Lim was prepared to report to the authorities as required and would not interfere with prosecution witnesses. He urged the court to exercise its discretion under Section 388 of the Criminal Procedure Code, citing previous cases involving Section 307 charges.
Juraidah subsequently granted Lim bail of RM10,000 with one Malaysian surety.
The court also ordered him to report to a nearby police station on the first day of every month until the case is concluded and barred him from interfering with prosecution witnesses.
The case was fixed for mention on Oct 7 to allow the prosecution to hand over relevant documents.
Police had previously arrested 23 men in a series of raids in Penang and Selangor to assist investigations into an armed riot outside SJK(C) Kong Min Branch Two in Air Itam on Aug 29.
Police said the armed fight was believed to have stemmed from a misunderstanding over a debt and involved a group using the name Geng 04.
Investigations found that the debt was not linked to illegal moneylending activities.
