Pakistani’s second bid for bail on identity card offence rejected
LAHAD DATU: A second bid for bail by a Pakistani man, charged with providing false information for an identity card application, was rejected by the Sessions Court here yesterday.
Sessions Court judge Mohd Zaini Fishir @ Fisal made the decision in the case of Mamad @ Ishak bin Minggu, who was charged under Rule 25(1)(b) of the National Registration Regulations.
The charge stated that the accused had given false information when applying for an identity card at the National Registration Department in Tungku between 8am to 4pm on March 30, 2012.
During the proceedings yesterday, the accused was defended by counsel Datuk Chau Chin Tang, while the prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Shazmeer Zamhari.
Chau told the court that the offence was not unbailable and the punishment was not death or life imprisonment. He said the accused was not a flight risk as his passport has been impounded, his family members are here and he is rooted here, hence the question of him absconding does not arise.
In reply, Shazmeer pointed out that the issue of bailable offence in this case has been pointed out when the accused was first brought to this court. Furthermore, he said the issue of flight risk and the attendance of the accused in this court had also been considered by this court in the previous hearing and therefore do not see any reason why this court should reconsider the order that has been made previously.
Shazmeer said that unless the defence counsel can show to the court that there are new circumstances or facts that had been not pointed out in the previous hearing, this second application for bail should not be considered by this court.
He added that he believed the court had made due consideration before rejecting bail in the previous hearing.
The judge after taking into account the arguments of both parties, made the decision that the order made in the previous hearing remains that no bail is offered to the accused.
The judge subsequently set September 20, 2017 as the next mention date for the case.