Datuk’s organised crime ring charged
THE STAR
JOHOR BARU: A 42-year-old Datuk is among a group of eight people who are the first to be charged under the Security Offences and Special Measures Act (Sosma) for organised crime, including murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
Accused of being the Gang 21 Japan leader, Datuk K. Elumalai, who is said to own a prayer items business, was brought to a magistrate’s court here under the escort of dozens of policemen, including personnel from the Serious Crimes Unit (D9).
Also charged were his followers – cousin K. Puvendran, 28, M. Kishok Kumar, 25, R. Ganabathy, 30, and his brother R. Shamuga Nathan, 37, S. Jeeva, 26, S. Rajandran, 39, and M. Suresh, 39.
No plea was recorded as the men – clad in orange and blue lock-up attire – were hauled up before magistrate Mohd Azlan Shah Mohd Allias here yesterday to face the charge of being part of the gang between Jan 18 and Aug 19, 2015, in Iskandar Malaysia.
Under Section 130V of the Penal Code, all of them are now facing up to 20 years in jail.
Johor prosecution unit head Saiful Edris Zainuddin later told reporters that this was the first case of organised crime charged under Sosma in the country.
Defence lawyers Nor Shahid Abd Malik and Baharuddin Bahrim represented Elumalai and Puvendran while Datin Freda Sabapathy represented brothers Shamuga Nathan and Ganabathy. The others were unrepresented.
Mohd Azlan Shah fixed Aug 24 for mention for the case to be transferred to the High Court.
Outside the court, the men, surrounded by droves of cameramen, reporters and family members, were led away with their heads bowed and faces covered.
However, one of them waved to the press and even gave a thumbs-up
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