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In the Magistrates' Court today, a witness testified that preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, known as Ebit Lew, had once attempted to make a video call to her while shirtless. The witness, a woman in her 40s and the complainant in Ebit Lew's sexual harassment trial, stated that this was the first video call he had made to her after nearly three weeks of communication through texts and voice calls.
During the examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Zahida Zakaria, the witness explained that she declined to accept the video call made on March 22, 2021, at 11:35 AM. "He kept calling, and I kept rejecting the calls. In his text, he asked why I wasn't answering and said, 'this isn't fair.' I remember that he was shirtless when he made that video call," she testified.
The witness further revealed that her interactions with Ebit Lew began after she had given him her phone number via Instagram on March 3, 2021. The day after she shared her number, Ebit Lew contacted her. During the 291-second call (four minutes and 51 seconds), she recognized his voice from his social media posts, talks, and live broadcasts. "I recall him inquiring about me and my family, my job, and the problems I was facing. I was interested in his program and shared details about my family and issues," she said.
From that initial contact until March 29, 2021, Ebit Lew frequently sent WhatsApp messages and made phone calls to the witness, which gradually became more sexually explicit in nature.
Earlier in the proceedings, Zahida referred to a document from Celcom containing subscriber information and call details to verify any calls made from Ebit Lew's phone number to the witness. Additionally, the prosecution submitted the Digital Forensic Case Report by Cyber Security Malaysia, which included the message exchanges between the witness and Ebit Lew.
Ebit Lew, 38, is facing 11 charges, including outraging the modesty of the complainant by sending obscene words and images to her phone number via the WhatsApp application between March and June 2021. These charges, under Section 509 of the Penal Code, carry a prison sentence of up to five years, a fine, or both if convicted.
The trial is set to continue tomorrow as the court delves deeper into the allegations and evidence presented by the prosecution. The case highlights the serious nature of digital communication and sexual harassment, emphasizing the legal repercussions for those found guilty of such offenses.
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