Court grants Gang 24 suspects bail
GEORGE TOWN: Eighteen of the 27 suspects accused of being members of the infamous Gang 24 have claimed trial to an amended charge in the magistrate’s court here.
The 18 are now charged under Section 43 of the Societies Act for being members of an unlawful society between Jan 1, 2015 and May 6 last year.
They were originally charged under Section 130V (1) of the Penal Code for being members of Gang 24.
Among the 18 are businessman Datuk Seri Ng Chian Sia, 56, and Datuk Koh Thiam Hua, 39.
The charge carries a jail term of a minimum five years and not more than 20 years, upon conviction.
Magistrate L. Umma Devi granted the 18 bail at RM4,000 with one surety each and fixed Oct 22 for case mention.
DPP Mohd Hafiz Hashim had proposed bail be set at RM5,000 for each of them, but lawyers representing the 18 requested a lower bail.
In the High Court here earlier, the other nine of the 27 accused pleaded guilty to the same alternate charge.
High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh sentenced them to 16 months’ jail from the date of their arrest.
They were, however, released as they were arrested Jan 1 and May last year
Chan Yi Heng, 23, Harry Tan Cheng Yu, 32, Lim Boon Hooi, 41, Yeong Kah Man, 27, Yeoh Choon Hin, 38, Yeoh Choon Hong, 46, Tang Soon Poh, 25, Teoh Chin Yeow, 25, and Teng Kok Loon, 30, were all released as they were arrested Jan 1 and May last year.
DPP’s Lim Cheah Kit, Mohammad Khalid Ab Karim and Mohd Hafiz prosecuted the case while counsels Ranjit Singh, R.S.N. Rayer, R. Sankra Krishna, Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, Tania Scivetti, Chris Kooi and A. Athimulan represented the accused.