Well-known preacher, Ebit Lew, was just indicted with 11 charges related to sexual harassment at the Tenom Circuit Court in Sabah today.
Based on a report by Berita Harian, the 37-year-old preacher pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before him by Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani.
He was charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of up to 5 years, a fine or both.
The prosecution was conducted by Sabah State Director of Prosecution, Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad with the assistance of Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP), Azreen Yas Mohamad Ramli, while Ebit was represented by lawyer, Mohamed Zairi Zainal Abidin.
The court has set 20 to 23 April as the trial dates, while Ebit was released on a bail of RM1,000 for each charge with two sureties.
Earlier, the preacher, who was also in Sabah to carry out charity work, arrived at the Circuit Court at the Tenom District Office at 9am in a Toyota Vellfire accompanied by a group of individuals.
The director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hassan shared that Ebit is facing charges of sending obscene pictures and messages with the intention of humiliating someone’s homour through WhatsApp.
“All charges are for offenses allegedly committed in the Tenom district, Sabah, between March and June 2021 against a Malay woman,” he said.
He also added that police request for all parties not to make any speculations and provocations to ensure the trial proceedings run smoothly.
If convicted, Ebit faces a jail term of not more than 5 years, a fine or both.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Also read: PDRM: Investigation Into Ustaz Ebit Lew’s Alleged Sexual Harassment In Final Stages
