SEREMBAN, A make-up artist pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to abusing his six-year-old adopted son. The 35-year-old man made the plea after the charge was read out in Tamil to him before Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi. He was charged as a person having the care of the boy to have ill-treated the child, resulting in the boy fracturing his leg, at about 7.30 pm at Jalan Desa Rusa 4, Port Dickson on Nov 3, 2022. The charge, framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of not more than 20 years or both if convicted. The court allowed the accused bail of RM7,000 with one surety and also ordered him to report himself at the Port Dickson Police Station once a month. The court also set Nov 29 for mention. The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Syafina Mohd Radzuan, while lawyer Dinesh Muthal represented the accused. In another Sessions Court, a hotel employee, T. C. Peter, 36, also pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing physical injury to the same child at the same place at about 10 pm last Sept 30. The charge was also framed under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001. Judge Surita Budin allowed Peter bail of RM20,000 with one surety and also ordered him to report himself at a nearby police station once a month and not to intimidate the witnesses in the case. The court set Nov 27 for mention. Deputy public prosecutor Nor Baizura Mohd Saubian appeared for the prosecution, while Peter was represented by lawyer Mohd Hanif Hassan, who informed the court that there victim was an adopted son of his client's friend. Source: BERNAMA News Agency