18/06/2025

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 18, 2025

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Singer denies sexual assault charges against teenager

82-year-old man arrested over animal abuse SUNGAI PETANI: An 82-year-old man has been arrested to assist in an investigation into a widely spread incident in which a dog was dragged behind a motorcycle in Bandar Puteri Jaya near here. Kuala Muda police chief ACP Hanyan Ramlan said the man was picked up at his home in Bandar Puteri Jaya at 8pm on Monday. “Police seized a red motorcycle, a set of keys with a road tax and a white helmet. “The man was brought to the Kuala Muda police headquarters for further investigation. Checks revealed he has no criminal record.” He said the man was found to be suffering from dementia and memory loss but admitted to dragging his pet dog, although he could not recall why he did so. “Further investigations are ongoing under Section 428 of the Penal Code, and the dog will be handed over to the Veterinary Department once medical treatment is completed.” In the incident, which occurred at 4.30pm on Sunday, the man was seen dragging his pet dog, which was tied to the back of his motorcycle, along the road. This resulted in injuries to the animal before he was stopped by passersby. It is believed that the owner chained the dog to his motorcycle and dragged it to get rid of it, on the grounds that he no longer wanted to keep the animal after four months. A woman recorded the incident and uploaded the footage on Facebook. Hanyan Ramlan said his department has received a police report regarding the incident. “Initial investigations found that the dog was not dead but injured, and it was sent to an animal clinic for treatment,” he said. – Bernama RM1.7m lost in investment scam JOHOR BAHRU: A 67-year-old man lost more than RM1.7 million after falling victim to a share investment scam via WhatsApp. Johor police chief CP Datuk M. Kumar said the victim, a private company manager, lodged a report on June 12 claiming that his phone number had been added to a WhatsApp group named “C-10 Freeman Saham 17” in April. “The victim was promised daily returns of 5% to 10% based on market share prices and his investment amount. Enticed by the offer, he made 12 fund transfers between April 16 and May 30 to five bank accounts, totalling RM1,772,603,” he said in a statement. However, after making the payments, he did not receive the promised returns. Instead, he was asked to pay an additional RM500,000, which raised suspicions and led him to believe he had been scammed. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries between one and ten years’ jail, caning and a possible fine upon conviction. He urged the public to remain vigilant and not be easily swayed by investment offers on social media that promise quick and high returns with minimal effort. “The public is also advised to verify such offers with relevant authorities, such as police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission, to ensure their legitimacy. “Use the Semak Mule service to check the status of bank accounts and phone numbers before proceeding with any payments,” he added. He called on the public to stay informed about current commercial crime trends to avoid falling prey to scams. Information on common scam tactics can be found on the official social media accounts of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. – Bernama

Council , was quoted as saying he preferred not to have any outside involvement in the matter, and would let the judicial process proceed without obstruction. He appeared at the courthouse at 8.34am yesterday with his mother by his side. In a separate case, a former information technology officer at a local media company pleaded guilty in the Ipoh Sessions Court yesterday to a charge of making an offensive comment on social media with the intent to hurt others’ feelings in February. Ariff Zulkarnain Ameer Mohd Imam, 50, entered the plea after the charge was read before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi. He allegedly used Facebook through the account “Ariff Zulkarnain Mohd Imam” to knowingly make and initiate a transmission using a communication service. He is accused of posting a comment on an article titled “Khatib enggan baca teks khutbah disediakan keterlaluan, jangan dibiarkan - Sultan Nazrin”, published on the Facebook page of Harian Metro. The offence was allegedly read at the Ipoh district police headquarters central police station complaints counter at 5.45pm on Feb 25. He is charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233(3) of the same Act, which provides a maximum fine

of RM500,000, up to five years’ jail, or both. An additional fine of RM5,000 for each day or part of a day the offence continues after conviction may also be imposed, upon conviction. His lawyer M. Saravanan from the National Legal Aid Foundation appealed for time or a later date to allow the accused to raise funds in case a fine is imposed, noting that the offence was serious as it involved the Sultan of Perak. DPP Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani said he had no objection to sentencing being set for a later date but suggested that bail be set at RM30,000 in two sureties. He also requested that the accused report to the nearest police station once a month and surrender his passport to the court. DPP Nurul Hidayu Zakaria also conducted the prosecution, Bernama reported. Saravanan appealed for a lower bail amount, saying the accused is 50 years old, his wife is unemployed and he had lost his job at the media company as a result of his actions. He added that the accused has no stable income and pledged to comply with all imposed conditions. The judge set July 30 as the sentencing date and fixed bail at RM10,000 in one surety. The accused was ordered to surrender his passport to the court by noon on June 20, until sentencing is concluded.

PUTRAJAYA: Singer Naim Daniel pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here yesterday to a charge of committing sexual assault against a 17-year-old girl at a hotel in May. Naim Daniel, whose full name is Muhammad Naim Daniel Baharin, 28, entered the plea before judge Datin M. Kunasundary in a closed-door proceeding. He is accused of committing the offence at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor at 8.56am on May 19. He is charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ jail and caning, upon conviction. DPP Nurul Izzah Shaharuddin appeared for the prosecution while Naim Daniel was represented by counsels Mohd Irwan Sumadi and Datuk Amirul Ridzuan Hanif. The court granted bail at RM12,000 in one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court. The case has been fixed for mention on Aug 18. Naim, known for his role in Projek: High o Court grants bail at RM12,000, orders accused to surrender passport

Naim (middle) is charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ jail and caning, upon conviction. – BERNAMAPIC

Retirees fall victim to online fraud GEORGE TOWN: Two retirees have lost over RM1 million after falling victim to online investment scams, according to Penang police. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said in the first case, the Seberang Perai central district police headquarters received a report from a 55-year-old man on June 12, alleging that he had been scammed by an online investment company for RM827,120.

high returns and contacted a woman via WhatsApp, who promised a 30% return within three months. He said on March 21, the victim made the first fund transfer of RM20,000 through the company’s app, and within less than three months, he received RM14,150 in profits. “He made 11 additional fund transfers between March 27 and June 3 into four company accounts linked to the scheme, but realised he had been scammed after he could not withdraw RM280,000 in purported profits and was instead asked to pay a RM120,000 withdrawal fee.” He said investigations are ongoing and both cases are classified under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. – Bernama

the platform. Hamzah said the victim made 22 fund transfers to six company accounts between April 19 and May 26. “He realised he had been scammed after being unable to withdraw profits totalling RM23,241,952 as shown on the investment app and lodged a police report.” He said in a separate case, a 56-year-old retired factory technician lost RM321,250 after falling victim to another online investment scam, adding that the victim lodged a police report on June 12 at the Seberang Perai north district police headquarters. Hamzah said around December last year, the victim came across an investment advertisement on Instagram that promised

“In early April, the victim came across an investment advertisement on Facebook promising high returns and subsequently got in touch with a woman via WhatsApp. “He was promised a 7% return on each investment made,”he said, adding that the man was told to download the company’s app to register as a member and invest through