SHAH ALAM: A 51-year-old lorry driver pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs, driving against traffic, and injuring four people on Oct 9.
C. Agilan was charged under Section 44(1A)(a) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction.
He is accused of driving a lorry under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamine at about 4.30pm along Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and injure four individuals aged between 17 and 58.
The incident occurred when a 10-tonne lorry driven against the flow of traffic crashed into 11 vehicles at the Alam Budiman traffic lights. Four people were injured, one of them seriously.
In a separate court, Agilan also pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Wan Noora Nisa Ngadirin to self-administering methamphetamine and amphetamine at the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division office in Section 11 at about 11.30pm on the same day.
The charge, framed under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine of up to RM5,000 upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Alia Anisa Khairus Masnan asked for RM15,000 bail for the traffic offence and requested the court to impound the accused's driving licence. For the drug use charge, DPP Nur Amirah Zahari proposed bail of RM7,000.
Agilan's lawyer, Rohan Singh, requested minimum bail for both charges, stating that his client earns about RM1,700 a month and supports his non-working wife and an 11-year-old child.
Magistrate Ameera Mastura Khamis granted RM9,000 bail for the first charge and suspended Agilan's driving licence until the case concludes. Wan Noora Nisa set bail at RM3,900 for the second charge.
The cases have been fixed for mention on Dec 22 this year and Jan 11, 2027, respectively. — BERNAMA
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