Celebrity preacher charged with rape, unnatural sex and obscenity

 

Celebrity preacher Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohammad Shaiful was charged with rape, unnatural sex and obscenity at the Shah Alam Sessions Court, Petaling Jaya Sessions Court and Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court respectively today.

Syed Shah, better known as Da'i Syed, was first charged with having carnal intercourse against the order of nature with a 22-year-old woman at a condominium in Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, between 3am and 4am on Oct 17.

The former participant of religious reality series Da'i Pendakwah Nusantara in 2016 was charged under Section 377C of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of between five and 20 years as well as whipping.

The 25-year-old actor, however, pleaded not guilty and asked to be tried after the charge was read out by a court interpreter before judge Faiz Dziyauddin.

Deputy public prosecutor Vitiya Monisha Paranthaman represented the prosecution while Syed Shah was represented by counsel Syed Amirul Syed Edros.

During the proceedings, Vitiya requested that the accused be denied bail due to security factors and the fear that he might attempt to interfere with the victim, who is the main witness in the trial.

If bail was to be given, he asked for the amount to be set at RM100,000 as well as a letter of undertaking that the suspect would not disturb the victim.

However, Syed Amirul said his client had been cooperative during the police investigation and asked the judge to set minimum bail, following the financial condition of his client which had been affected.

The judge set bail at RM20,000 with additional conditions, among them is for the undertaking to not disturb the victim until the case is completed.

After the proceedings were adjourned, Syed Shah was taken to the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court for the second charge of obscenity.

The accused was alleged to have committed criminal violence with the intention of outraging the modesty of the same woman on the same date and time as the first charge.

Syed Shah pleaded not guilty and asked to be tried when the charge was read out by the court interpreter before magistrate Mohamad Ikhwan Mohd Nasir.

The charges were made in accordance with Section 354 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years or a fine or whipping or any two of those punishments.

Deputy public prosecutor Zamriah Zarifah Arif argued for bail to be set at RM100,000.

However, his lawyer requested a reduced amount as Syed Shah has been supporting his family since 2017 and their financial situation was affected by Covid-19.

After hearing arguments from both parties, the magistrate set Feb 19 next year for re-mention of the case and ordered the bail of RM5,000.

Syed Syah was arrested on Nov 26 after appearing to give a statement at the Shah Alam police headquarters.

Following that, the accused was remanded for 10 days by the Shah Alam Court in connection with an alleged rape case supposedly committed on Sept 11 last year.

Syed Shah was then charged for the third time today at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam for raping a woman.

He was charged with committing the offence in a room at an apartment building in Section 7, Shah Alam, at about 11.35pm, on Sept 11, 2019.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge which was read out by an interpreter before Judge Rofiah Mohamad.

He was charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and whipping if convicted. - Mkini