COUPLE FREED OF TV3 CAMERA ROBBERY CHARGES

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court here today acquitted
and discharged a couple on two counts of robbing two cameras owned by television
station TV3 from its cameramen two years ago.

Judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin made the decision in the case of African
restaurant owners Elizabeth Sumana De Silva, 44, and her Nigerian husband
Adeyemi Rasaq Tunde, 44, after finding that the defence had raised a
reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.

"This clearly shows that justice does not look at skin colour," he told
the couple after delivering the judgement.

For the first amended charge, De Silva, a Malaysian of Portuguese descent,
was alleged to have been in possession of a Panasonic DVX 102B robbed from
33-year-old Fauzi Muin. She was charged under Section 412 of the Penal Code
which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and fine, upon conviction.

On the second charge, De Silva was said to have been with 10 others, who are
at large, when robbing a Panasonic DVC PRO in the care of Nor Azman Jumahat, 36,
under Section 395 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of up to 20
years or caning, upon conviction.

Adeyemi was alleged to have been with about 20 people who are at large when
they robbed a Panasonic DVX 102B camera in the care of Fauzi Muin, 33, which
under Section 395 of the Penal Code carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years
and caning.

The offences were said to have been committed at Jalan Menara Gading 1,
Taman Connaught, Cheras, here, at 1.10 am on Sept 15, 2008.

Zainal Abidin, in his judgement, said that on the first charge faced by De
Silva, the court was told that the camera was kept by her as proof for the
police.

"In her statement under oath, the accused said she contacted the police to
inform them she was keeping the camera," he said.

On the second charge faced by De Silva, Zainal Abidin said the accused in
her statement had denied robbing the camera and this was supported by defence
witnesses who were customers of the restaurant.

"A statement from a customer known by the accused affirmed that he and De
Silva were present during the chaos, but he did not see the accused take
anything during or after the incident," he said.

Besides that, according to the witness who was well-versed on cameras, it
was unlikely that a woman could easily pick up the seven kg camera which was
usually set on a tripod, he said.

The judge said that on the charge against Adeyemi, the accused did not have
the intention of robbing the camera.

"The camera was actually taken as a precautionary measure because the
restaurant had been vandalised by gangsters in April 2008," he added.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Asyiqin Zulkifli appeared for the prosecution
while the couple was represented by lawyers Christopher Joseph and Mohd Aris Abu
Bakar.
-- BERNAMA


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