High Court frees former car jockey of rape charges

New Straits Times

15-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: A former car jockey was recently acquitted by the High Court on charges of a raping a woman, then 18, in a car park at an entertainment centre in 2023.
High Court judge K. Muniandy reversed the decision of the Sessions Court last year and allowed the appeal of B. Satia, 27, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail and two strokes of the rotan.
In his decision, Muniandy said Satia's testimonies were consistent and probable.
He said there was none of Satia's DNA evidence on the victim, an aspect of the case as revealed by the chemist which was not considered at all by the Sessions Court judge.
Muniandy said the Sessions Court judge did not consider the early statement of Satia, which synced with his oral testimonies in court and was subjected to cross examination.
He said, had the Sessions Court judge embarked as such, he would have considered in totality the reasonable doubt raised by Satia.
Earlier, defence lawyer Muhammad Amin Abdullah had submitted that the Sessions Court judge had erred in facts when he decided that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against Satia.
He had said the Sessions Court judge did not consider the evidence of DNA which was absent from the victim's body and the car.
Amin appeared with co-lawyer Julie Faralisa Abd Jais.
The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutor Natasha Zaini.
In September last year, judge Izralizam Sanusi imposed the jail sentence on Satia and another accused, T. Khanesen, 32, after ruling that they failed to raise reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.
They were separately charged with raping the victim at 5.06am and 5.20am in the car at the centre in Jalan Tun Razak on May 13, 2023.
The charge under Section 376 of the Penal Code carries a maximum 20-year jail term and whipping.