Kuala lumpur: The Magistrate's Court here today ordered preacher Ebit Irawan Lew, or Ebit Lew, to enter his defence on 11 charges related to sexual harassment. Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani said the court found that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against Ebit Lew, 41, on all the charges.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, after examining and evaluating the credibility and reliability of all the evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses, the court found that a prima facie case had been established by the prosecution against the accused. The court's decision came at the end of the prosecution's case after hearing testimony from 18 prosecution witnesses during the trial, which began in September 2022.

Ebit Lew was charged with 11 counts of sexual harassment, including outraging the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene images and messages via WhatsApp between March and June 2021. He was charged under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction. The court has set the defence trial for October 13 to 16.

Lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, representing Ebit Lew, informed the court that the defence will call between seven and 10 witnesses. He also stated that the accused has chosen to testify under oath from the witness stand. Deputy public prosecutors Nor Azizah Mohamad, Analia Kamaruddin, and Muhammad Hidayat Wahab appeared for the prosecution, while Ebit Lew is also represented by lawyers Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki and Timothy Daut.

Meanwhile, Ram Singh, when met by reporters after the decision, said the defence respects the court's ruling. He expressed hope that the case would be concluded soon, noting that it has been ongoing for more than four years.