Prominent preacher and philanthropist, Ustaz Ebit Lew will be tried on 11 charges related to sexual harassment at the Tenom Magistrate’s Court in Sabah from September 27 to September 30.
According to a report by Berita Harian, this matter was confirmed by the Head of Corporate Communications of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Assistant Commissioner A Skandaguru.
“Ebit Lew, who was accused in the Tenom Magistrate’s Court last February, on 11 charges of sexual harassment under Section 509 of the Penal Code, will be tried from September 27 to September 30, 2022, in the same court,” he said.
If convicted, the 38-year-old preacher, who’s real name is Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, could face up to 5 years in prison or a fine or both, for each charge.
Back in February, Ustaz Ebit Lew pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani.
The prosecution was carried out by the Sabah State Director of Prosecutions, Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad, assisted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Azreen Yas Mohamad Ramli. Ebit Lew, on the other hand, was represented by lawyer, Mohamed Zairi Zainal Abidin.
Later, he was freed after posting RM1,000 bail with two sureties for each accusation.
The director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ), Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hassan, previously shared that Ebit Lew is facing charges for sending obscene pictures and messages with the intention of insulting the victim’s dignity through WhatsApp.
All charges are for offenses allegedly committed in the Tenom district in Sabah between March and June 2021, against a Malay woman.
In July of 2021, an investigation into the preacher was conducted after the police received reports from several individuals alleging that he committed sexual harassment and the police opened papers in accordance with Section 509 of the Penal Code, Section 14 of the Minor Offenses Act 1955 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Ebit Lew’s statement was recorded to help the investigation in August 2021 and in October 2021, where he said that the allegations were a cruel defamation against him.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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