TENOM: A woman testified in the Magistrate’s Court today that preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, also known as Ebit Lew, had confided that his sexual needs were purportedly unmet by his wife.

The ninth prosecution witness, in her 40s, stated that Lew spoke of the matter during a 44-minute and nine-second video call on May 20, 2021.

She also denied having shared any intimate details about herself with Lew during the video call and confirmed that no recordings were made.

The complainant agreed with a question from Lew’s lawyer, Datuk Ram Singh, during cross-examination, acknowledging that she had voluntarily participated in the video call.

The complainant expressed that she felt Lew had exploited her by subtly manipulating her to comply with his desires, and denied wanting to have intimate relations with him.

Ebit Lew, 38, widely known as a preacher, faces 11 charges, including outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscenities and images to her phone via WhatsApp between March and June 2021.

The preacher is charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.

The trial before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani resumes tomorrow.