Restaurant manager who allegedly raped and married teenager asked to enter defence
Riduan Masmud.
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KOTA KINABALU: A 40-year-old restaurant manager, who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl and later married her in an apparent bid to drop the rape charges, has been asked to enter his defence.
Sessions Court judge Ummu Kalthom Samad ruled that there was a prima facie against Riduan Masmud after taking into consideration all the evidence given throughout the trial.
Riduan was ordered to enter his defence on Dec 16 and 17.
“Having also given a maximum evaluation on the evidence heard, the prosecution have established a prima facie against Riduan and if he chooses to remain silent during the two days, I am prepared to give a conviction,” she said during the ruling at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court on Wednesday.
Riduan who remains unrepresented after his counsel Loretto S Padua discharged himself from the case on Sept 19, is expected to call several witnesses including the victim’s parents when he enters his defence next week.
Riduan, a father of four children aged between two and 17, was charged for raping the schoolgirl in a parked vehicle on a road near Kionsom Waterfall in Inanam between 9 and 10am on Feb 18.
The news shocked the nation when he later took the schoolgirl as second wife in May as efforts to made to withdraw the case against him.
Riduan is also charged with bribing the girl’s father RM5, 000 to withdraw the police report.
He was accused of offering RM5, 000 to the man on April 18 and for giving RM2, 000 and RM3, 000 between 9pm and midnight at separate locations in Kota Kinabalu the same day.
The Corruption court set Jan 9 for the mention of the case.
The Star
