TANGKAK: The Rohingya man known as Long Tiger, who escaped from police custody while waiting to be charged at the Magistrate’s Court here last month, was sentenced to a 12-month jail term for the offence by the same court.

       Magistrate Zaridah Y. Abdul Jaapar handed down the sentence yesterday after Long Tiger, whose real name is Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid, pleaded guilty to the charge.

       Zaridah also ordered Abdul Hamim, 33, to serve the sentence at the Kluang Prison from the day of his arrest on Dec 28 last year.

       According to the charge sheet, he intentionally escaped from police custody after being arrested for an offence under Section 388 of the Penal Code for extortion.

       He escaped through the main gate of the court at 11.55am on Dec 15 while waiting for his case to begin and was rearrested in Sungai Petani, Kedah, on Dec 28.

       Johor prosecution director Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman and deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Qaiyum Rahman appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers Freda Josephine Gonzales and Muhammad Hariz Md Yusoff.

       The Bernama report said the court set Feb 14 and 16 for re-mention of his other cases under Sections 388, 506 (murder threat) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Penal Code.