Businessman, 3 others acquitted over attack on Penang lawyer

In George Town, a well-known businessman and three others accused of attacking a lawyer nearly two years ago were acquitted and released by the magistrates' court without entering their defence. Magistrate Nadratun Naim Saidi ruled that the prosecution could not prove a prima facie case against Yeoh Ee Seong, Koay Beng Ghee, Teh Eng Tat, and Ng Weng Kooi.

The attack, which lasted less than 10 seconds, was captured on CCTV footage showing the assailants wearing masks. The magistrate found the complainant's identification of one of the accused based on his puffy eyes and prominent eye bags unsafe due to the limited time frame. Conflicting evidence also arose over whether another accused wore a mask.

A witness claimed to have identified an attacker by body posture through a rear-view mirror from several cars away, but the magistrate deemed this evidence inadmissible. The complainant's ability to accurately identify the attackers within seconds, while threatened during the attack, was also disputed. The CCTV footage did not clearly show the attackers' faces, and the seized clothing did not match the footage.

Despite the prosecution presenting nine witnesses and 42 exhibits, they failed to establish a prima facie case. All four were acquitted and discharged, and their bail money was returned.