A 26-year-old flight attendant pleaded not guilty in Kuala Lumpur to drink-driving charges that resulted in a fatal accident and injuries.
KUALA LUMPUR: A flight attendant pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here today to two charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing the death of a supervisor and injuring a lorry driver in an accident on Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar here on Saturday (Oct 24).
Mohd Iman Nafiz Fong Mohd Sabirin, 26, is accused of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 64 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood, exceeding the legal limit of 50mg per 100ml, and causing the death of Faris Irfan Fazli, 29, on Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar heading towards Jalan Parlimen at 4.09 am on Oct 24.
The charge was framed under Section 44(1)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2020), which provides for imprisonment of between 10 and 15 years and a fine of between RM50,000 and RM100,000, upon conviction.
If convicted, the accused may also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a period of at least 10 years from the date of conviction.
He also faces a charge of causing injuries to Ahmad Zakiyamani Zakaria @ Yusuff, 49, in the same incident.
The charge, under Section 44(1A)(b) of the same Act, carries a prison term of between seven and 10 years and a fine of between RM30,000 and RM50,000, as well as disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least 10 years from the date of conviction, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry proposed bail of RM25,000 for each charge, with one surety, as well as the suspension of the accused’s driving licence and impounding of his passport, taking into account that he worked as a flight attendant and could pose a flight risk.
Defence counsel Mohd Anif Rafih applied for the bail to be reduced to RM15,000 for each charge. He did not object to the prosecution’s additional condition that the accused’s driving licence be suspended but opposed the requirement for his passport to be surrendered.
“My client needs his passport for work as a cabin crew member with a local airline. In addition, he is single and supports his family, including his father who requires regular hospital treatment for a heart condition.
“The defence proposes that the accused report to a police station once a month as an alternative to surrendering his passport,” he said.
Magistrate Atiqah Mohamed @ Mohamad Saim granted the accused bail of RM35,000 for both charges, with one surety, and ordered his driving licence to be suspended until the case is concluded. She also ordered him to report to the nearest police station once a month.
The court fixed Nov 30 for case mention.