TENOM, May 24 — The ninth witness in the sexual harassment case involving Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew or Ebit Lew, told the Magistrates’ Court here that she never flirted or had any relationship with the preacher.
The woman in her 40s said that she reached out to Ebit Lew solely to address family matters, and during that time, the accused also displayed concern for her issues.
The witness testified that the accused would offer compliments before sending explicit messages, and he also requested her to send him photographs.
“I never even contemplated entering a relationship with Ebit (Lew), let alone for sexual purposes. I kept responding to his messages until there was a time when I acceded to his request for my photograph,” she said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zahida Zakaria.
The witness also noted that she faced criticism after filing a police report against Ebit Lew, with some accusing her of defaming the accused.
“I had no motive and no intention to defame him. The truth is, his actions (sexual harassment) are undeniable, and there are numerous other victims, as he confessed to me on July 29, 2021,” said the witness, who also positively identified the accused.
The woman testified that from March to June 2021, in addition to receiving lewd messages, Ebit Lew also contacted her via calls on the WhatsApp application, video calls and messages on Instagram.
Ebit Lew, 38, faces 11 charges, including outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words and images to the victim’s phone number via the WhatsApp application between March and June 2021.
The charges under Section 509 of the Penal Code provide a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine or both if convicted.
During the proceedings in the afternoon session, the witness said that she had sent several images displaying the upper portion of her physique to Ebit Lew.
The complainant, who has been married for 10 years, expressed that subsequent to the incident, she experienced anger as she had complied with Ebit Lew’s demands to send her images before disclosing the matter to her husband.
She made this statement when cross-examined by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, representing the accused.
The trial will resume from August 26 to September 6. — Bernama
