PASIR MAS: A religious school headmaster faced six additional charges of sexually assaulting a male student in the Sessions Court here today.
Mohamad Aswadi Yah, 46, who is the mudir of a pondok school, pleaded not guilty to all counts before Judge Zulkpli Abdullah.
The charges allege he physically sexually abused a 14-year-old boy at a house in Kampung Kubang Batang and at a madrasah in Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat.
The offences are said to have occurred between 12.30 pm and 5.30 pm on various dates from March 3 to June 9 this year.
All charges are framed under Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
This section carries a potential punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
The court set bail at RM20,000 with one surety and imposed additional conditions on the accused.
Mohamad Aswadi must not disturb any witnesses involved in the case.
He is also required to report to the nearest police station once every month.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Aiysha Na’ilah Harizan prosecuted the case.
The accused was represented by his lawyer, Mohd Irwan Sumadi.
Judge Zulkpli Abdullah scheduled the next mention of the case for November 11.
The accused was previously charged on September 11 in the Pasir Mas Sessions Court with seven counts of physical sexual assault on a male student.
He also faced a separate charge for possession of obscene images during that previous court appearance.
On that occasion, the court had granted him bail amounting to RM45,000.
A week later on September 18, he was charged again at the Terengganu Sessions Court.
Those charges involved two counts of molesting another 14-year-old male student.
The Terengganu court had set his bail at RM18,000 with one surety. – Bernama