Friday, May 15, 2009

‘Detective Lim’ charged with stealing books

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerak Khas actor Farid Amirul Hisham Wu Abdullah, better known as “Detective Lim,” changed his plea at the 11th hour to not guilty to the theft of two books worth RM194.90.

Farid, 43, who is also an assistant director, was charged with stealing the book The Sistine Secrets worth RM89.90 and the book Decoding The Heavens worth RM105 from the MPH Bookstore.

He was said to have committed the offence at the ground floor of the Mid Valley shopping centre at 7:15pm on March 27.

The bookshop’s house detective, Mohd Aqib Mohd Yusof, 18, had lodged a police report over the matter on the same day of the alleged theft.

Farid had initially pleaded guilty when he was charged for the theft on April 8. He was out on RM1,500 bail. If convicted, he can be jailed up to 10 years and fined under Section 380 of the Penal Code.

The scene in court Thursday could been out of a TV police drama ... or comedy, rather.

Farid, who had turned up for his sentencing, had sat in the public gallery chatting with the court policemen while waiting.

However when his case was called up, DPP Mohd Mukhzany Fariz Mohd Mokhtar said the case exhibits were not available yet and asked for a brief adjournment.

When the case was recalled an hour later, Nor Azri Mohd Arif told the court he had just been appointed Farid’s lawyer and that his client wanted to change his plea.

Nor Azri asked the court to set a new date for trial saying that he wanted to get relevant documents for the trial.

Magistrate Mohd Faizi Che Abu ordered the prosecutor to provide the related documents to the lawyer before May 29 for the preparation of Farid’s defence. He set June 18 for the trial.

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