Ninth member of Malaysian cult-linked group charged in child sex abuse scandal
The group, accused of running shelters where children were abused, faces a widening probe, including the freezing of numerous bank accounts
Last week, Malaysian police rescued 402 boys and girls, aged between one and 17, from welfare homes allegedly run by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, where the children were allegedly victims of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of their caretakers.
GISBH denies the allegations, stating last week that it did not manage the shelters and that it is a victim of a campaign by unnamed parties with an “agenda to bring down the image” of its business.
On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Mohamad Riza Makar, 39, with criminal intimidation for allegedly issuing threats against a woman who filed a police report against GISBH.
According to the charge sheet seen by This Week in Asia, Mohamad Riza was accused of telling the whistle-blower, “We know where your house, husband, and family are” after she refused to retract her police report.
He could face two years in jail, a fine, or both if found guilty.
