KOTA BHARU: A former taekwondo coach pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to four charges of committing sexual offences involving two underage girls.
Soufa Pinyousos, 42, entered the plea after the charges were read before judge Zulkifli Abllah.
Three charges were framed under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, involving alleged physical contact and sexual assault for sexual purposes against a girl aged 13 years and three months, 13 years and seven months, and 14 years at the time of the respective incidents.
The fourth charge, under Section 14(b) of the same Act, involved alleged physical sexual assault against the same girl named in the second and third charges.
The offences allegedly took place at a taekwondo training club in Jalan Pengkalan Chepa here, on an afternoon in September 2017, at 10pm in April 2025, at 10pm on Aug 20, 2025, and around noon between Feb 17 and 18 this year.
Sections 14 and 16 of the Act provide for a maximum 20 years' imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors Siti Arina Razali and Kamarul Hasyime Rosli appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers Muhammad Arif Mohd Zain and Zubairi Salleh.
The prosecution proposed bail of RM30,000 for the first charge, while opposing bail for the remaining three charges.
Arif sought a lower amount, saying his client had been dismissed from the taekwondo club and was no longer working as an instructor.
He said the accused, a red MyKad holder, was self-employed with a monthly income of between RM500 and RM1,000 and supported his wife and four children.
The court granted bail of RM20,000, with one local surety, and ordered the accused to surrender his passport, report to Pengkalan Chepa police station and refrain from harassing the victims and prosecution witnesses.
The court fixed Nov 26 for case mention. The accused posted bail.
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