Court Fines Seven Over Driving Academy Riot

TUMPAT, June 8 (Bernama) -- Seven individuals, including a woman, were each fined RM2,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after they pleaded guilty to rioting at a driving academy last month.

Magistrate Wan Ashrul Afham Mohamad Azmi also ordered the accused, aged between 22 and 52, to serve six months’ imprisonment in default of payment.

The accused are Azli Mamat, 42; Mohd Azaki Mamat, 42; Mohd Khadri Ghani, 52; Ahmad Faizal Juhari, 35; Muhammad Alif Hakimi Abd Hamid, 22; Muhammad Izzat Romli, 25; and Nor Hasida Mamat, 38, who are related.

Under an amended charge, they were accused of being part of an unlawful group that used force during an incident at a driving academy in Berangan here, at 10 am on May 24.

The offence was framed under Section 147 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.

Meanwhile, in the same court, a driving instructor from the academy pleaded not guilty to a charge of provoking anger that allegedly led to the riot.

Mohamad Azwani Husin, 50, was charged with provoking an 18-year-old girl at the academy at 10 am on May 23, knowing that such provocation was likely to cause a rioting offence.

The charge, framed under Section 153 of the Penal Code, provides for a sentence of up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.

The court granted Mohamad Azwani bail of RM2,500 with one surety and fixed July 14 for case mention.

-- BERNAMA