N Tharmendran, the man in the thick of the alleged theft of two RMAF jet engines, has applied for a reduction of his bail at the High Court.

air force f-5 jet engine missing two charged 060110 tharmendran His lawyer, N Surendran, said the Petaling Jaya High Court will hear his client's application tomorrow morning at 8.30, in their bid to bring down the RM150,000 bail to no more than RM20,000.

Surendran said their application, filed in early June, is based on three main grounds, not least being Tharmendran's right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"We are also going on the grounds that Tharmendran ( right ) cannot afford the bail amount as he is only an air force sergeant earning a salary of RM3,000," he said when contacted.

Surendran added that because Tharmendran was allegedly tortured when he was first detained, it casts doubts over claims of his involvement in the case.

"If it is not likely that he had committed the offence, all the more reason to reduce the bail amount," he said.

This is the second time Tharmendran is asking for a reduction for  his bail , the first being in March through his previous lawyer, Rakhbir Singh.

Rakhbir had verbally requested that bail be reduced to RM10,000, arguing that the quantum set by the Sessions Court was not commensurate with the value of the stolen jet engines.

He also said that accused cannot afford the amount as he is only a sergeant with the RMAF and has an aged father to care for.

Sessions Court judge Aslam Zainuddin had turned down the request.

Tharmendran, 42, is jointly charged with company director Rajanad Prasad Kusy, 38, in connection with the theft of two RMAF F5 J85-21 jet engines which were eventually recovered last week.

Both pleaded not guilty to the charges. The hearing has been set for July 19 at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.