Religious Teacher Charged With Six More Counts Of Sexual Assault On Male Student

PASIR MAS, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- A headmaster (mudir) of a pondok school was today charged again in the Sessions Court here with six counts of physically sexually assaulting a 14-year-old male student.

Mohamad Aswadi Yah, 46, pleaded not guilty to all charges before Judge Zulkpli Abdullah.

According to the first to sixth charges, Mohamad Aswadi is accused of physically sexually abusing the boy at a house in Kampung Kubang Batang and at a madrasah in Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat, between 12.30 pm and 5.30 pm from March 3 to June 9, this year.

The charges are framed under Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.

The court allowed bail of RM20,000 in one surety, with additional conditions that the accused must not disturb the witnesses and must report to the nearest police station once a month.

Deputy public prosecutor Siti Aiysha Na'ilah Harizan appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer Mohd Irwan Sumadi.

The court fixed Nov 11 for mention.

Previously, on Sept 11, the accused was charged in the Pasir Mas Sessions Court with seven counts of physical sexual assault on a male student and possession of obscene images and was granted bail of RM45,000.

A week later (Sept 18) he was again charged at the Terengganu Sessions Court on two counts of molesting another 14-year-old male student, where bail was set at RM18,000 in one surety.

-- BERNAMA