Celebrity preacher gets 7 years' jail, 2 cane strokes for raping 2 teen boys

Celebrity preacher Azman Syah Alias, better known as PU Azman, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and two strokes of the cane by the Seremban Sessions Court today.

Judge Surita Budin handed down the sentence after he pleaded guilty to four amended charges of physical sexual assault on two teenage boys two years ago.

She also ordered Azman to undergo counselling and be placed under police probation for two years after completing his time in jail.

The judge said her decision was made after considering various factors, including the fact that public interest outweighed the interests of the accused.

On three of the charges, he was sentenced to seven years in prison and one stroke of the cane, and five years’ imprisonment with one stroke of the cane on the fourth charge, to be served concurrently from last Oct 9.

According to the charges, Azman was alleged to have physically sexually assaulted two teenage boys aged 17 and 16 at a house in Taman Tiara Sendayan, here between 8.30pm and 5am on Feb 5 and July 6, 2022.

Earlier during mitigation, Azman’s lawyer Mohamad Zahid Ahmad said his client’s admission of guilt had saved time and costs for all involved in the case.

“He has been in jail since Sept 27 and is still serving his sentence over a charge in the Klang court,” he said, adding that Azman apologised for his mistakes and is remorseful.

Azman was also represented by lawyer Fahmi Adilah, while the prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Rasyidah Murni Adzmi, Nurul Balkis Zunaidi, and Norazihah Asmuni.

Rashidah, when requesting the court to hand down a sentence that would serve as a lesson for both the accused and society, said an admission of guilt should not be a factor in reducing a sentence.

“The accused is a celebrity preacher and the offence is something that no one, let alone a preacher, should do to children,” she said.

On Sept 27, Azman was sentenced to 24 years in jail and two strokes of the cane at the Klang Sessions Court after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy two years ago.

On Dec 6, he was sentenced to 14 months in jail after pleading guilty to gross indecency against a teenage boy.

- Bernama

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