Ebit Lew trial: Witness says he saw obscene messages on complainant’s phone

A witness in the trial of Ebit Lew told the Magistrate's Court in Tenom, Sabah, today that he saw the obscene messages and pictures allegedly sent by the preacher via the WhatsApp application, on the complainant's mobile phone.

Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) NGO president Firdaus Wong who is the third witness in the trial said he saw the obscene messages and pictures directly on the mobile phone of the complainant.

"The voice messages and obscene pictures that I saw on the mobile phone of the complainant (the woman) were on WhatsApp itself and not screenshots," he said during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Zahida Zakaria.

Wong said he saw the messages and the pictures on the complainant’s mobile phone when meeting her on Aug 7, 2021.

Zahida: Can you recognise the picture on the complainant's mobile phone?

Wong: Yes, that's one of the pictures I saw on the complainant's mobile phone.

During cross-examination by lawyer Ram Singh, Wong agreed that he had met the complainant after a police report was lodged at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.

Ram: You also testified that you allegedly saw her handphone with text messages or photographs when you met her after she lodged a police report, correct?

Wong: Yes.

Ram: Do you know when (complainant) surrendered her phone to the police after she lodged a police report?

Wong: I don't know.

Ram: So when you said you saw the text messages and photographs from the complainant's phone after she lodged (the police report), do you know what time?

Wong: More or less between 9pm and 1am.

Ram: So this was when you met her at Ascott Hotel, Brickfields Kuala Lumpur, agreed?

Wong: Yes, I agree.

Lew (above), 37, is facing 11 charges, including insulting the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words and pictures to the victim’s phone number via WhatsApp between March and June last year.

The charge, under Section 509 of the Penal Code, provides for a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine, or both.

The trial before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani continues tomorrow.

- Bernama

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