Thirteen individuals plead not guilty to armed rioting at Kuching eatery over alleged RM12,000 dispute

KUCHING, March 27 — Thirteen men pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates’ Court here to charges of rioting with objects capable of being used as weapons at an eatery along Jalan Kuching City Mall.

The accused, aged between 20 and 34, entered their pleas before Senior Assistant Registrar Abdurrahman Abrar Jarni to the charge under Section 148 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both if convicted.

The alleged incident occurred at the eatery around 10.30pm on March 17.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan requested bail of RM5,000 with one local surety for each accused to ensure their attendance at future court proceedings.

Defence counsel Ralph Lee, representing 10 of the accused, argued that his clients were actually victims during the riot and were “defending themselves.” He noted that three of them were also complainants in the case and highlighted that all his clients had fully cooperated with the investigation and posed no flight risk.

Abdurrahman granted bail of RM3,500, undeposited, with two local sureties for Lee’s clients. The remaining three unrepresented accused were granted bail of RM3,500, deposited with one local surety. The court scheduled pre-trial case management for May 4.

According to reports, the incident began when the 10 accused were dining at the eatery and were confronted by a large group of men who overturned a table. A riot then broke out, with both sides allegedly using chairs, metal objects, and drinking glasses as weapons.

Several people sustained injuries, and the eatery suffered property damage estimated at RM3,000. The dispute reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over a RM12,000 debt.

A total of 36 individuals were reportedly involved in the incident, with 13 still at large. The case was investigated by Insp Awang Iswandi Awang Mahmuddin. — The Borneo Post