Sarjan Muhamad Afifi A Rahman, 29, of Tanjung Tokong police station, told the Magistrate’s Court here that he arrested Sylvain Vidal, 62, after receiving orders from his superior to do so, within three hours of receiving a complaint from a neighbour.
Vidal is on trial, charged with criminal intimidation for allegedly uttering “Don’t talk to my wife this way or I will kill you or put you in the hospital” on March 15 to his neighbour Cheah Lim Boon Keong who lives two doors away.
Vidal, a wine export manager, has been a resident in Malaysia for over 20 years under the Malaysia My Second Home programme.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a seven-year jail term upon conviction. He is out on a RM7,000 bail.
In a cross-examination by Vidal’s lawyer V Parthipan today, Sarjan Afifi was asked about the chronology of his client’s arrest on the day of the incident (March 15).
Afifi said Cheah had filed a police report and Afifi later interviewed him at about 10.40am. He said Cheah claimed that Vidal had threatened him after he scolded Vidal’s wife for not putting her dog on a leash.
Afifi said after taking photos of the alleged crime scene at Jalan Sentosa in Tanjung Bungah at 11 am, he had briefed his superior, senior investigating officer Azrul Azizan Mat Rawi.
He said Azrul had ordered him to open an investigation paper under the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and the Immigration Act for committing an offence related to a valid pass to enter Malaysia.
“At about 12pm, my officers and I had arrested the suspect, Sylvain Aime Ernest Julien Vidal and took his passport.
“I then recorded his statement at the district police headquarters. At 2pm, I ordered the on-duty officer to put him at a lock-up at the Bayan Baru police centralised lock-up, for further investigation,” Afifi told the court.
He said Vidal had admitted having confronted Cheah but denied threatening to kill him.
During the investigation, Afifi said Vidal had merely told Cheah: “Why you scold and insult my wife? You must go to the hospital and see the doctor because I think something is wrong.”
He said Vidal had uttered this while seated in his car across Cheah’s house and later drove off.
Vidal was released from lock-up and was given a police bail of one month from March 17, Afifi said. He said the Penang prosecution unit of the attorney-general’s chambers then ordered the matter to be prosecuted with criminal intimidation on Mar 29.
Parthipan then went on to ask Afifi what he would do if his wife was scolded or insulted, to which he said he would lodge a police report.
“You would naturally lodge a report if you are a policeman. But if it is a layman, whose wife has been bullied for two years, wouldn’t you confront the bully to put a stop to it?” Parthipan asked, to which Afifi agreed.
Magistrate Rosnee Mohd Radzuan then ordered both parties to send in their written submissions and set March 24 to deliver her decision.
Deputy public prosecutor Preeya Darrsini Sugumaran prosecuted.