IPOH, Dec 5 — The Sessions Court here set February 10 to 14 next year to hear the case of Perak executive council (exco) member Paul Yong Choo Kiong (exco) who is charged with raping an Indonesian maid.

Judge Norashima Khalid set the dates during the case management today which was attended by deputy public prosecutor Azhar Mokhtar and lawyer Farhan Sapian, representing Yong, who is State Housing, Local Government, Public Transport, Non-Islamic Affairs and New Village Committee chairman.

Earlier, in requesting for the trial dates, Farhan informed the court that the defence had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the Ipoh High Court’s decision in dismissing its application to transfer the case to the High Court.

The appeal was filed last November 28 and the defence is awaiting the date for mention of the appeal at the Court of Appeal, he said.

Azhar, however, objected to the defence’s request for further delay of the trial, saying that any court case involving a civil servant should be disposed of within six months of the filing of the case, and will also have emotional impact on the victim.

On August 23, Yong who is also Tronoh assemblyman pleaded not guilty at the Session’s Court to raping a 23-year-old maid at his residence in Meru.

Also appearing for the prosecution were deputy public prosecutors Ainul Wardah Shahidan and Naidatul Athirah Azman, while lawyer Azura Alias held a watching brief for the Indonesian Embassy and the victim. — Bernama