Police are still investigating a gang rape case involving a Nigerian national identified on social media posts as ‘Nicole’, despite having released the suspects on police bail.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim (photo) said the complainant had initially lodged a police report on June 4 claiming to have been assaulted by the suspects earlier that day, and police have arrested four people ranging from 28 to 44-years-old based on information she provided.
Three of the suspects were investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code, which pertains to causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
They were remanded for five days from June 5 to June 9 but were released on police bail after the remand expired because an application to extend the remand was rejected.
A fourth suspect, a Thai woman, was investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for allegedly not having valid immigration documents and was held in remand for 14 days from June 5 to June 18.
As for the victim, Mazlan said she, too, is being investigated for the same immigration offence, and was remanded from June 10 to June 23.
She was also referred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment and was detained in a ward from June 4 to June 6.
Mazlan added that the victim finished giving her statement on her assault case at about 7.50pm on June 9, and subsequently lodged a police report about the alleged rape after being advised by the police to do so.
“Initially, the complainant did not want to pursue the rape case and refused to undergo a (medical) examination at the hospital.
“However, the complainant made the second police report after being held in a ward for three days and was advised by the police to make a report on the incident,” he said in a statement today.
The incident allegedly took place at about 10am in her boyfriend’s house in Cheras, whom she just met recently. Based on preliminary investigations, Mazlan said the boyfriend and his friends had beaten and injured the complainant.
Since then, Mazlan said police have rearrested one of the suspects at about 1.30pm on June 20, and have remanded the 44-year-old for six days from June 21 to June 26.
Police are still looking for three male suspects who are still at large, he said, to facilitate investigations under Section 376 of the Penal Code.
The victim is being held at Kajang Prison until the investigation of the rape case is completed, he said.
Section 376 of the Penal Code pertains to the punishment for rape. It calls for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
For certain circumstances such as when the crime is committed in the presence of other people, the provision stipulates between 10 to 30 years’ imprisonment and whipping.
Mazlan did not refer to the victim by name but had issued the statement in response to media queries regarding social media posts regarding the case.
In one version of the posts, a voice is heard claiming that five men were involved in the rape of a Nigerian woman identified only as Nicole, but the police released them on bail after “collecting money” from the suspects.
The voice also claimed that one of the alleged perpetrators hail from an “influential” family that owns a chain of hotels in Malaysia, and had used his connections to get a police officer from Bukit Aman to interfere with the investigation that was being conducted by the Kuala Lumpur police.
Mazlan urged members of the public not to spread any untrue speculation and fact-check the information they receive.
He also urged those who have information about the case to contact the Kuala Lumpur police via its hotline at 03-2115 9999, or contact the nearest police station. - Mkini
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