PETALING JAYA — A police inspector claimed trial at the Sessions Court on Thursday (April 30) to raping and molesting two Mongolian women at a hotel earlier this month.

Hazrul Hizham Ghazali, 30, was accused of using his authority as a senior police officer to coerce the consent of two Mongolian women before raping them on eight occasions at a hotel in Petaling Jaya between 12.30am and 11am on April 11.

According to the charge sheet, Hazrul Hizham is charged with six counts of rape and one count of using criminal force to outrage the modesty of the first victim.

Hazrul also faces two counts of rape for the second victim, bringing the total charges indicted against him to nine.

Each rape charge was framed under Section 376(2)(f) of the Penal Code which covers the offence of raping a woman with her consent obtained using a position of authority.

A conviction could result in imprisonment for a term of between 10 and 30 years, as well as whipping.

As for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a person under Section 354 of the Penal Code, an accused is punishable with imprisonment up to 10 years or a fine or whipping or any two of such punishments upon conviction.

The women's names and ages were withheld to protect their identities.

The accused later pleaded not guilty to all the charges before Sessions Court judge Norshila Kamaruddin.

Deputy public prosecutor Asnawi Abu Hanipa prosecuted while Hazrul Hizham was represented by lawyer Shah Rizal Abdul Manan.

The prosecution initially refused to offer bail, arguing that the accused was a person of authority and could potentially use his position to harass potential witnesses.

In mitigation, Mr Shah Rizal argued for a lower bail as his client had already paid a substantial bail amount for two other offences at the Session Court on Wednesday before adding that the victims were already placed under protection.

Judge Norshila then fixed bail at RM27,000 (S$8,800) for all nine charges with one surety.

The court then fixed the case for mention on June 2.

Hazrul Hizham was charged on Wednesday with exploiting two Mongolian women for sex at a hotel in Petaling Jaya between April 10, 10.30pm and April 11, 8.20pm in two separate charges.

He was charged under Section 13(f) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act which covers the offence of trafficking a person for the purpose of exploitation through abuse of power.

The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted RM20,000 bail by the Klang Sessions Court.

He was previously arrested after police raided a boutique hotel in Petaling Jaya and rescued the women who had been kept there against their will.

The women alleged that they were stopped at a roadblock in the district during the enforced movement control order (MCO) nationwide while they were on their way home.

Upon finding out that the two victims had no valid travel documents on them, the suspect reportedly took advantage of the situation and forcefully took them to a nearby hotel where he allegedly raped them. MALAY MAIL