A former city councillor from DAP was today sentenced to be jailed three years and fined RM7,000 by a Magistrate’s Court after being convicted of molesting a college student two years ago.
L Prem Anand, 52, was found guilty by the magistrate’s court of outraging the modesty of a college student two years ago.
Magistrate Jamaliah Abd Manap said the prosecution had presented a prima facie case against the accused.
“After taking into account the merits of the case presented by the prosecution, I find you guilty of the offence and sentence you to three years’ jail commencing from the date you were charged,” she said when delivering her verdict.
She also ordered the accused to pay a fine of RM7,000.
However, Prem was allowed a stay of execution pending appeal following submissions made by his lawyer, E Gnasegaran.
Jamaliah allowed bail at RM30,000 with two Malaysian sureties and also told him to report to the nearest police station once a month.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shafiq Mohd Sazalli asked for the court to order the accused to surrender his passport, which was objected to by the defence counsel.
Jamaliah, however, ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.
On July 18, 2017, Prem was charged with outraging the modesty of the student, then 21, at the parking lot of an entertainment outlet in Lebuh Pantai here at 11.30pm on July 6.
A popular Penang DAP grassroots leader and former aide to an assemblyman, Prem is believed to be still an ordinary member of the party.
During the case hearing, the court was told that Prem had exposed his genitals to the woman and asked her to use her hand or mouth on them but that she refused; instead he masturbated and ejaculated on her.
The woman also testified that Prem had offered her between RM500 and RM700 to spend a night with him, but she turned him down.
The student was then working as a part-time waitress.