A 41-year-old man who allegedly tried to rob a gold shop while pretending to be a customer has been revealed to be an unemployed engineer.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the accused, Teo Chun Siong, was charged at the Johor Bahru Sessions and Magistrate’s Courts today with one count of attempted robbery and five counts of unlawful possession of dangerous weapons.
He pleaded not guilty to all six charges.
Attempted robbery charge carries up to 7 years’ jail
The first charge accuses Teo of attempting to rob a jewellery store in Johor Bahru on Feb 6 at around 5 pm, violating Section 393 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, he faces a maximum 7-year jail term and fine.
He was allowed to post RM9,000 bail for this charge.
Found with four knives and a hammer
The remaining five charges relate to the illegal possession of weapons.
Between 5 pm and 6 pm on the same day, police allegedly found four knives and one hammer inside a black leather bag he carried and in the rear passenger seat of a black pickup truck parked at the mall.
As he did not have a valid permit, he was charged under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, which carries a jail sentence of 5 to 10 years and whipping.
He also pleaded not guilty to all five charges and was granted RM32,000 bail in total for these offences.
Bail granted, trial to resume in March
The court allowed Teo to be released on total bail of RM41,000, with conditions:
- One Malaysian surety
- Surrender of his passport
- Monthly reporting to the nearest police station
- No contact with case witnesses
Teo’s lawyers told the court he had lost his job in January and is the sole caregiver for his elderly mother, appealing for a lower bail amount due to financial hardship.
The case has been scheduled for mention on March 3, to allow document submission.
Teo was seen covering his face with his shirt while being escorted to court. Two masked individuals believed to be his family were present in the courtroom.
