A 44-year-old businessman was charged with drunk driving and ramming his vehicle into a policeman manning a Movement Control Order (MCO) roadblock two weeks ago.
K Kalaichelvan was alleged to have driven under the influence of alcohol, resulting in him being unable to control his four-wheel drive and ramming into Corporal Safwan Muhammad Ismail on May 3.
The father of three was also charged with failing to stop at a roadblock and driving without a valid driving licence.
He pleaded not guilty to all offences when the charges were read to him before Sessions Court judge Mohd Kafli Che Ali today.
According to the charge sheets, he was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol which caused the death of Safwan, who was manning the MCO roadblock near the Kajang Selatan Toll Plaza on the Lekas Expressway.
The offence falls under Section 44(1)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987. The offence provides a jail term of between 3 and 10 years, and a fine of RM20,000, upon conviction.
For the second and third charges, he had allegedly failed to comply with any reasonable signal of a police officer requiring a person or vehicle to stop before reaching any barrier and driving without a license, at the same place and time.
The offences were framed under Section 26(1) of the Police Act and Section 26(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, respectively.
Deputy public prosecutor Norhana Sahat asked the court to set RM3,000 bail for all offences.
However, counsel Haijan Omar pleaded for minimum bail stating that his client is the sole breadwinner for his family.
The court set RM20,000 bail with one surety and fixed June 18 for mention.
In a separate magistrate court, Kalaichelvan also claimed trial to a charge for disobeying the MCO at the same place and time.
The offence falls under Section 3(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Hairuliqram Hairuddin asked the court to impose RM10,000 bail, but Haijan pleaded for minimum bail.
Magistrate Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli set RM1,000 bail and fixed Aug 10 for mention.
It was reported that in the 2.11am incident, a Toyota Hilux, driven by the accused, crashed into Safwan and several parked police cars.
It is learnt that the impact of the crash had sent the victim flying several metres up in the air, before he fell and was pinned underneath the suspect’s vehicle.
Kajang district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaid Hassan said the victim, who is attached to the district police’s Prosecution and Law Division (D5), sustained severe head injuries before he succumbed to it at the scene.
He said initial investigation showed the driver was speeding and was intoxicated when he lost control of his vehicle, causing it to crash into the MCO roadblock on the south-bound lane of Lekas highway. – NST