KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Datin Rozita Mohamad Ali did not flee from her court hearing but had only returned to her village for “medical treatment”, according to her lawyer Datuk Rosal Azimin Ahmad.
He said Rozita had turned off her handphone and could not be contacted by prosecutors because she allegedly wanted to “cool down” after she had pleaded guilty on March 15 to abusing her former Indonesian maid Suyanti Sutrinso, The Sunday Star reported today.
“Two days ago she contacted us again and we arranged for the notice of hearing to be served on her in our office,” Rosal was quoted saying, adding that Rozita will turn up for the next court hearing on March 29.
Prosecutors have been searching for Rozita after she failed to show up for the High Court review of her sentence on March 21.
The 44-year-old woman had raised eyebrows after the Sessions Court let her off with a good behaviour bond for five years on a RM20,000 surety following her guilty plea to an amended charge of seriously hurting Suyanti, then aged 19, with a kitchen knife, steel mop and an umbrella at a house in Mutiara Damansara, Selangor on June 21, 2016.
Rozita was initially charged with attempted murder under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with jail up to 20 years and even death if the maximum sentence if given.
The amended charge of causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means under Section 326 of the Penal Code carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine, or whipping.
The Immigration Department had also put Rozita on its no-fly list over fears she might flee the country.
