Former lecturer acquitted, released from all eight charges

KUCHING: The High Court here yesterday released and acquitted a former lecturer from eight charges of criminal intimidation, and assault of two of his children in 2016.

Judge Christopher Chin Soo Yin dismissed and dropped the case after all eight charges brought against Mikail Tan Abdullah were dropped by the complainants (his daughters).

Chin and his two children, 19 and 23, are in the process of reconciliation, and are working out a solution between them.

Chin, who is also a Judicial Commissioner, later waived the two years and eight months' jail that he previously imposed on the accused.

According to the chronology of the case, after both children (daughters) of the 56-year-old accused made a police report against him, he was charged in a magistrate's court, and was found not guilty in Jan 2018.

He was released from all eight charges.

The prosecution was, however, dissatisfied with the decision, and appealed to the High Court.

High Court judge Datuk Supang Lian in July 2018, found a prima facie case and ordered the accused to defend himself.

The case was then brought back to a magistrates' court.

Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar, who replaced the previous magistrate, sentenced the accused to two years and six months' jail for all the charges in early January this year.

The accused was dissatisfied and appealed the sentence.

An appeal was filed on Jan 10 at the High Court here through his lawyers Shankar Ram Asnani and Daniel Ling.

The accused was released and acquitted from all charges yesterday.

According to the indictment, the accused was charged with committing criminal intimidation against his 23-year-old daughter by threatening to kill her with a machete

The incident took place at Jalan Dagok Barat in Aug 2015, and at Taman Vision, BDC between 9am and 10am in Jan 2016.

He was charged with two counts under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which provide for a maximum sentence of seven years' jail or a fine or both on conviction.

He also faced six other charges under Section 323 of the Penal Code for intentionally causing injuries to both his children, which provides for one year jail term or a fine of up to RM2,000 or both on conviction.

According to the facts of case, both children were beaten with various tools such as a cane.

He committed the offence between 2015 and 2016, at separate locations, namely Jalan Dagok Barat, Jalan Sultan Tengah, and BDC.