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IPOH: The Court of Sessions here has once again set new trial dates in December to hear the case of former Perak executive council member Paul Yong Choo Kiong, allegedly raping his former Indonesian servant.
Session Court Judge Norashima Khalid set December 21-23 for the trial to begin, pending the outcome of Yong’s appeal in Federal Court so that the case will be heard in High Court instead of the Court of Sessions.
He also set the dates, as Yong’s two lead lawyers, Datuk Rajpal Singh and Salim Bashir from Kuala Lumpur, were unable to cross state lines due to the conditional movement control order (MCO) in the Klang Valley.
Yong’s lawyer, Surinder Singh, told reporters outside court that he requested new dates because the conditional MCO and the October 14 appointment date in Federal Court had to be postponed.
Norashima also set November 20 to mention the case.
Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Mokhtar requested that the trial dates be set first, as the Federal Court has not yet made a decision and the two lawyers cannot be present in court.
“It would be nice if the court could set the trial dates first, as this case has been going on for a long time.
“The first two main witnesses have been placed in a safe house for 15 months, so I hope the trial can begin as soon as possible,” he said.
In February this year, the Court of Appeal had dismissed Yong’s appeal to transfer the case to the High Court, resulting in an appeal request filed in the Federal Court.
In August last year, Yong pleaded not guilty to raping his 23-year-old Indonesian maid at their home.
The incident is said to have taken place in a room on the top floor of his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, between 8.15pm and 9.15pm.
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