June 23 decision on ‘in camera’ testimony in Paul Yong rape trial

 

Paul Yong, the Tronoh assemblyman, was first charged in the sessions court in 2019. (Bernama pic)

IPOH: The High Court will decide on June 23 whether or not the victim in the case of former Perak state assemblyman Paul Yong, who is charged with rape, and another witness can testify in camera.

Judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed said the court would conduct an inquiry involving the two witnesses before making a decision.

“On June 23, I will make a decision whether Section 20 of the Witness Protection Act 2009 and Section 265A of the Criminal Procedure Code can be applied or otherwise,” he said after hearing submissions from the prosecution and defence teams via Zoom today.

The submissions were on the prosecution’s application for the two witnesses to testify in camera under the Witness Protection Act 2009.

On April 6, Perak state prosecution director Jamil Aripin said the two were in the witness protection programme and stated their wish to give their statement in camera without being seen by the accused and his lawyers.

Earlier, Yong’s lead counsel Rajpal Singh said they agreed that the alleged victim could give evidence in camera without the presence of members of the public and the accused, but requested that the counsel be allowed to see the victim and cross-examine her from the witness box.

“As for the second witness, we object and he should not be protected at all in court to testify either by video link or in camera. He should be a normal witness, no reason to be protected,” he submitted.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fitri Sadarudin, who is assisted by Liyana Zawani Mohd Radzi and Ainul Wardah Shahidan, submitted that the issue of identity was not just about their names but covered a wider aspect, including emotional disturbance and trauma.

Wahab also fixed the trial dates for June 23 to 25 and July 12 to 16.

Earlier, the court had heard the testimony of several prosecution witnesses at the trial, which began on April 5.

Yong, 51, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping his Indonesian maid at his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, 2019 between 8.15pm and 9.15pm.

The case was mentioned in the sessions court but, on Dec 15 last year, the Federal Court allowed an application by the defence to transfer the case to the High Court.

Yong was first charged in the sessions court here on Aug 23, 2019 when he was the state housing, local government, public transport, non-Islamic affairs and new villages committee chairman. - FMT