KOTA BARU: A headmaster of a tahfiz school was charged at the Sessions Court here today with five counts of sodomising his three students between 2021 to this month.
The accused, Muzaidi Mohamad, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and claimed trial before judge Nik Habri Muhamad.
In the first to fifth charges, the 30-year-old accused was alleged to have sodomised three male students, aged 12 to 15, at an orphanage in Bachok and a room in Maahad Tahfiz, Machang.
He was alleged to have committed the act between 10am on April 2021 and 10pm on April 2024.
Four of the five charges involved two of the same victims.
He was charged under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a jail term not exceeding 20 years and is liable to whipping on conviction.
Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad and Siti Edabayu Subhan prosecuted the case while the accused was represented by lawyer Mohd Azrul Hasyimi Mohammad.
Earlier, Ahmad Faiz asked the court not to offer bail to the accused, saying that he might disturb the witnesses.
Azrul, however, asked for a lower bail as his client had to support his family, including his children.
The judge allowed Muzaidi to be released on RM15,000 bail with one surety for each offence.
He also ordered the accused not to disturb the witnesses and directed him to report to the nearest police station every month.
Nik Habri set May 29 for submission of documents on the case.
