Sabah state soccer players charged with robbery

Three teenage Sabah state footballers, who are allegedly breadwinners in their family, were charged for stealing RM1,070 cash.

KOTA KINABALU: Three Sabah state footballers were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday with robbery.

Dendy Lowa, 19, Leopold Alfonso Otong, 20, and a 17-year-old teenager claimed trial before Magistrate Nuruhuda Mohd Yusof to breaking into an apartment on the fourth floor of Likas Square Condotel in Likas here and stealing RM1,070 cash and a cellphone worth about RM400.

Dendy from Tenom, Leopold from Inanam and the teenager from Beaufort are all Sabah Reserve League players.

They allegedly committed the offence at about 5.30am on Jan 23. They were charged under Section 457 and 34 of the Penal Code.

If convicted they are liable to a jail term of up to 14 years and a fine.

Magistrate Nuruhuda set trial for April 11-13 and released the two accused on RM2,000 bail each, RM600 to be deposited with two local sureties.

The third teenager, who is a juvenile, was released on RM1,500 bail with RM500 to be deposited with two local sureties pending the disposal of the case.

She also ordered that the two sureties must be their parents.

Earlier, prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Ismail Mohamad Razali proposed RM8,000 bail for the trio’s release pending the trial.

But the trio’s counsel Nelson Anggang applied for the bail amount to be reduced on grounds that the three were breadwinners of their respective families and would not be able to settle a higher bail.

Nelson also told the court that the boys were under contract and needed to train and play for the state.

He added that as they have pleaded innocence they should not be punished by being forced to pay a higher bail amount.

As the state football players, Nelson said, they were unlikely to abscond. Counsel Loretto S Padua also acted for the trio. - FMT