JOHOR BAHRU: Eight individuals, including a woman known as ‘Bella’ who went viral on social media, changed their pleas from guilty to not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here today on charges of criminal intimidation by issuing death threats, extortion, and wrongfully confining a man in a house in Plentong last April.
Muhammad Aqmal Hafifi Mustafa Kamal, 25; Ahmad Rushdi Jumadi, 23; Muhammad Nur Shafiq Abdullah, 25; Muhammad Haikal Zulkarnain, 19; Mohamad Amierul Hakim Shamsuri, 23; Mohamad Danish Hakim Kamaruddin, 20; Syamsul Hamiziey Saiful Razali, 19; and Nuredrianna Balqqisyh Anabella Norazman, 22, made the plea change after the three charges were read out to them again before Magistrate A Shaarmini today.
On April 25, all of them had pleaded guilty before Magistrate Atifah Hazimah Wahab to the three charges.
Under the first charge, they were jointly charged with criminal intimidation by issuing death threats against Muhammad Faris Syahmi Mohd Ridzwan, 22.
For the second charge, they, along with two others still at large, were charged with committing extortion by causing fear to Muhammad Faris Syahmi, specifically by threatening not to stop assaulting the victim until he paid RM3,000.
They were also charged with extorting Muhammad Faris Syahmi by continuously assaulting him and refusing to release him, thereby inducing the victim to hand over RM650 via an e-wallet account and a Yamaha Y16 motorcycle key to Mohamad Amierul Hakim.
For the third charge, all the accused, along with the two others still at large, were jointly charged with wrongfully confining the victim.
In separate proceedings before Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid, the seven men also changed their pleas to not guilty on a fourth charge of voluntarily causing hurt to the same victim, along with one other accomplice still at large.
All the alleged offences were committed in a flat in Plentong, Masai, here, between 10 pm and 4 am, from April 18 to 19.
The first three charges are framed under Sections 506, 384 and 342 of the Penal Code respectively, while the fourth charge is under Section 323 of the same Code. The offences carry penalties of imprisonment for up to 10 years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Accused Syamsul Hamiziey was represented by counsel Nurul Nadia Yunos; Mohamad Amierul Hakim by counsel T Haressh; while Muhammad Aqmal Hafifi and Ahmad Rushdi Jumadi were represented by counsel Khairulazwad Sariman and Syahmi Nawawi respectively.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors Nik Noratini Nik Azman and Nur Fatihah Mohd Nizam.
The Court fixed July 17 for the next mention of the case, submission of documents, and for the accused who are not yet represented to appoint counsel.
