Former RTD deputy charged with emergency lane offence

Yusoff left

PUTRAJAYA - Former Road Transport Department (RTD) deputy director-general of planning and operations, Datuk Yusoff Ayob, who was fined RM600 last week for driving on an emergency lane, was charged again at the Magistrate’s Court here today for the same offence.

Yusoff, 58, who has been transferred to the Public Service Department (PSD) last Friday, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He was charged with driving a car, with registration number "BLY 68" on an emergency lane, which is an offence under Rule 53(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, at Lingkaran Putrajaya here at 6.27pm on Oct 7 last year.

Yusoff was first charged with the offence last July 18, but he was not in court then. Instead, he sent a special aide to represent him and the aide pleaded guilty to the charge.

The charge was made under Section 119(1)© of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides a fine of up to RM2,000, or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, if found guilty.

At today’s proceeding, lawyer Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu, representing Yusoff, said he would send a representation on the charge made against his client to the Attorney-General’s Chambers and also requested the prosecution to provide the necessary documents on the case to the defence in accordance with Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Izzat Fauzan, who prosecuted, told the court that the prosecution would submit the document before the hearing and that they would need a month to get feedback on the representation.

Magistrate Syahrul Sazly Md Sain fixed Aug 21 for mention. No bail was offered as it is a summons case.

Meanwhile, the RM600 fine payment was returned to Yusoff, who then left the court room with his lawyer.

Baljit Singh, when asked by reporters the reason his client did not attend the court proceeding last week, said there was some confusion and Yusoff also did not seek legal advice on the case.

There was an outcry over the case following reports that Yusoff did not attend the court proceeding and had sent his special aide to plead guilty on his behalf and was fined RM600 for the offence by Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman.

The special officer paid the fine.

However, last Friday (July 21), the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the case to be remitted to the Magistrate’s Court and for Yusoff to make the plea against the charge himself.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Indera Ab Karim Ab Rahman, using his revisionary powers as a judge to review the case against Yusoff, also set aside the fine and ordered the case to be heard by a new magistrate. — Bernama