Former cop changes sexual assault plea after learning penalty
KUCHING: A former policeman charged with sexually assaulting a boy decided not to plead guilty after learning the hefty penalty for the offence.
Fazlie Zainuddin, 33, from Johor, also told Judge Dayang Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad, in the Sessions Court here yesterday, that he is mentally insane.
Dayang Ellyn ordered for him to be sent to the Kota Sentosa Hospital for psychiatric observation for a month and to be produced in court again on Dec 15 for further mention of the case.
The outcome of the observation will determine whether Fazlie is in the right state of mind to make a guilty plea.
Fazlie faces two charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for up to 20 years in prison and caning.
He allegedly committed the offence on a 14-year-old boy between 2pm and 3pm at the state police headquarters security post on Sept 4 this year, and between 3pm and 4pm inside a car at a secluded area in Batu Kawah near here on the same day.
Under the first charge, he allegedly touched the boy’s chest and nipple, while on the second charge, he allegedly sucked the child’s nipple.
The accused, whose last rank was lance corporal, is currently serving a 12-month jail term after pleading guilty to four counts of forgery.
For each forgery offence, he was fined RM2,000 in default three months’ jail.
He could not settle the fines and was also sacked due to the offences.
DPP Haresh Prakash prosecuted, while Fazlie appeared unrepresented.