SEREMBAN: Three madrasah teaching assistants linked to Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISB) pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to charges of committing physical sexual abuse and assault against children.
The accused, Muhammad Habib Noh Mohd Zairi, 21; Muhammad Khunais Fathie Khabil, 20; and, Ahmad Nadzful Izham, 22, face five, six and three charges, respectively.
According to the charges, they committed physical sexual abuse with sexual physical contact against five boys, aged between 9 and 11, three of whom were siblings, at a madrasah in Kuala Pilah near here between 2022 and last year.
The charges are under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum 20 years' prison sentence and whipping.
Habib faced additional charges under Section 14(b) of the same act for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Balkis Zunaidi did not offer bail, but requested RM30,000 for each charge if the court decided to grant it.
The accused's family appealed for minimum bail as the proposed amount was high.
The court then set bail at RM12,000 per charge for each accused, with the condition of reporting to the police station once a month.
The accused were also ordered not to contact the victims or witnesses, surrender their passports to the court and remain contactable at all times.
The case mention for appointing lawyers and reviewing medical reports is scheduled for Oct 30.
Earlier, the accused arrived at the court complex in a police van from the Kuala Pilah district police headquarters before being taken to the court lock-up.
The charges were filed in connection with Op Global.
This is the second set of charges involving GISB, following the arrest of another group member who was charged with criminal threats at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court yesterday.