Patrick Samba, 34, and Ibrahim Jalloh, 36, both from Sierra Leone, and Douglas Daniel Devine, 38, from Liberia, were charged with robbing Hiroyuki Azuma, 58, of US$30,000 alongside two others still at large.

They were alleged to have committed the offence in front of a restaurant at a shopping mall in Brickfields here at 1.30pm on Aug 9.

They were charged under Section 395 of the Penal Code with gang robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ jail and a fine or whipping, if convicted.

Deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah proposed that they be denied bail as they did not have valid travel documents.

However, AR Palaya, representing all three accused, said his clients had valid travel documents, which were either with their respective agents or held at the colleges where they were studying.

“I request the court to set an early date for me to verify their travel documents before appealing for bail,” the lawyer said.

Judge Egusra Ali did not offer any bail and set Sept 25 for case mention.