Preacher charged with rape, sexual assault

A preacher pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to nine charges of rape, sexual assault and committing unnatural sex on a teenager

Muhammad Fathi Na’im Mazlam, 30, also known as Ustaz Fathi Naim, made the plea before Judge Syafeera Mohd Said yesterday.

He was charged with seven counts of rape, one count each for sexually assaulting and committing unnatural sex on a teenage girl, now 14, between June 2021 and February this year.

The offences were allegedly committed in a car in front of a surau, a parking area of Dataran Eco World and at a hotel in Bandar Puncak Alam near here, Bernama reported.

The charges for rape and sexual assault were framed under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code and Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 respectively, which provide imprisonment of up to 20 years and is also liable to whipping, if found guilty.

On the charge of committing unnatural sex, he was charged under Section 377CA of the Penal Code which carries imprisonment of up to 30 years and whipping, if found guilty.

Muhammad Fathi Na’im, who has three wives and eight children, was allowed bail of RM40,000 with one surety for all the charges and also ordered to report himself at a police station once a month, as well as to not intimidate the victim and witnesses in the case.

The court has fixed Jan 10 next year for mention.