Ex-police officer jailed for molesting boys

PUTRAJAYA: A former police officer was sent to jail for 12 months’ yesterday after losing his final appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence for molesting three boys in a toilet six years ago.

Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi, who chaired a Court of Appeal three-man bench, said the conviction of the former assistant superintendent of police, Cheah Sang Hee, for outraging the modesty of the teenagers by stripping their pants and fondling their private parts, was safe.

He upheld the High Court’s decision in convicting and sentencing Cheah to 12 months’ jail for each of the three charges, to run concurrently.

Justice Ahmadi issued a warrant of committal against Cheah, 48, to begin serving his jail sentence today. Cheah was on RM20,000 bail with two sureties pending disposal of his appeal.

Also presiding on the bench were Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli and Datuk Kamardin Hashim.

In his oral decision, Justice Ahmadi said the testimonies of two victims corroborated that the accused had entered the toilet, hence the discrepancy of the cleaner’s testimony was not material to warrant the conviction to be set aside.

Cheah was found guilty by the Klang Magistrate’s Court on three charges of committing the offences on the three boys, then aged 15 16, on the ground floor toilet of a departmental store in Klang, Selangor, on Sept 7, 2012.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail for each charges to run concurrently.

He failed in his appeal at the High Court to set aside his conviction, but managed to get his jail term reduced to 12 months for each charges to run concurrently.

He subsequently filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Cheah’s counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik submitted that his client should be acquitted because there were contradictions in the evidence in court and a statement given to police by a Nepalese cleaner, who was a defence witness.

He said Cheah’s conviction was unsafe as the Magistrate’s Court did not make a ruling on an impeachment proceeding.

Hisyam told reporters that his client’s instruction was to file a review against the decision.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Patricia Tan appeared for the prosecution. - Bernama