Victim in Paul Yong rape trial to testify under Witness Protection Act today

IPOH, July 13 — The 25-year-old Indonesian victim who is the main witness in the Paul Yong rape trial will testify at the High Court here today. 

The victim is protected under the Witness Protection Act (WPA) 2009 and will testify in closed court with only the Judge able to see her.

The media will not be allowed to cover the proceeding, which is set to take place at 2.15 today due to the WPA.

This includes writing or publishing any form of materials that carry the information of the victim.

Another witness who is also protected under the WPA for this case is the person who helped the victim to lodge her police report.

As of this morning, a total of 14 witnesses have testified in the trial so far.

On June 24, the High Court here decided that the two main witnesses in the Paul Yong rape trial are to be protected under the WPA. 

Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed, who made the decision, said that the identity of the two witnesses must be protected.

Abdul Wahab also said the two witnesses will testify in closed court and that only he will be able to see them.

“They will testify in court, but only I will see them. The prosecution team, the defendant’s lawyers and others in the court will not be able to see two witnesses.

“They will only hear the witnesses’ voices,” he had said.

He also said that any form of materials that would reveal their identities, including their names, photographs or address, are prohibited.

He said the witnesses’ names can only be mentioned in the proceeding and should not be disclosed to the public.

Yong, 51, pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping his Indonesian domestic helper at his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, 2019 between 8.15pm and 9.15pm.

The case had been mentioned in the Sessions Court but, on December 15 last year, the Federal Court allowed an application by the defence to transfer the case to the High Court.

Yong was first charged in the Sessions Court here on August 23, 2019, when he was the state Housing, Local Government, Public Transport, Non-Islamic Affairs and New Villages Committee chairman.