KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — An Immigration Department ‘Black Maria’ lorry driver was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here today with five offences, including dangerous driving that resulted in the deaths of a father and his two daughters here early yesterday.

Mohd Akbar Zainol, 43, pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which were read out before Magistrate Aliaa Anwar.

For the first to third charges, the accused was alleged to have driven the Isuzu lorry dangerously, resulting in the deaths of Shaik Mohd Firdaus Shaikh Yahya, 53, and his two daughters, Siti Norshazlin, 24, and Siti Darwisyah Auni, 12, on Jalan Sultan Ismail at 1am on August 19.

The charges were framed under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for imprisonment of between five and 10 years and a fine of between RM20,000 and RM50,000, as well as disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least five years, upon conviction.

For the fourth charge, Mohd Akbar was alleged to have driven the same vehicle without due care and attention, resulting in injuries to Shaik Mohd Firdaus’ wife Nor Hayati Rozali, 55, at the same location, time and date.

The charge was framed under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a fine of between RM5,000 and RM10,000, and a maximum jail term of 12 months, upon conviction.

For the fifth charge, he was alleged to have failed to comply with a traffic signal by running a red light at the Jalan Sultan Ismail intersection at the same time and date. The charge was framed under Section 79(2) of the same Act, which provides for a fine of between RM300 and RM2,000.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syajaratudur Abd Rahman proposed bail of RM15,000 with one surety for each charge, with additional conditions that the accused report to a nearby police station every month and surrender his passport to the court until the case is concluded.

Lawyer Izzat Amir Saharudin, representing Mohd Akbar, sought the minimum bail, saying his client had school-going children and was also responsible for his elderly mother.

He said the accused, who had served with the Immigration Department for 11 years, had no previous convictions and was not a flight risk.

“The purpose of bail is to ensure the accused’s attendance in court, and he has not been found guilty until proven guilty. My client will cooperate fully and attend court until the case is concluded,” he said.

Aliaa then allowed Mohd Akbar bail of RM12,000 for each charge, with an additional condition that he report to a nearby police station once a month. His driving licence was also suspended until the case was concluded.

The court set October 27 for mention for the submission of documents.

It was reported that the three pedestrians from the same family were killed while another was seriously injured after being hit by the ‘Black Maria’ lorry, which was on its way to Chow Kit for an operation to apprehend illegal immigrants.

The accident is believed to have occurred when the empty lorry, travelling to Chow Kit for the operation, entered the junction against a red traffic light with its beacon and siren activated.

The official vehicle then collided with a Proton Saga travelling straight through the junction when the traffic light was green, causing the lorry to lose control, veer off the road and hit all the victims and an Inokom Matrix. — Bernama