Jamal Yunos to remain in custody after being denied bail

AMPANG: Red Shirts leader and fugitive Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos who was deported from Indonesia today will spend time behind bars after he was denied bail by the magistrate's court here after pleading not guilty to a charge of escaping police custody.
Jamal, 48, who arrived at the courthouse at about 4pm under heavy police escort claimed trial to the offence under Section 224 of the Penal Code and sought bail through his lawyer.
However, magistrate Mohd Firdaus Sadina Ali denied him bail due to his past history of escaping police custody.
The case was set for mention on July 30.
Jamal was arrested in Indonesia on Monday and arrived at the KL International Airport (KLIA) from Jakarta at 2.15pm.
He was escorted by policemen from the Selangor police headquarters who had left for Jakarta Wednesday night to bring him back.
Earlier, Selangor police CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said Jamal will be taken straight to the Ampang magistrate's court to face the charges on his arrival at the KLIA.
He said there are two arrest warrants against Jamal that was issued by the Ampang magistrate's court on May 25 for two cases of house trespass.
Fadzil said the arrest warrants were issued on Jamal as he had fled before being freed on bail.
On May 25, Jamal who was arrested on May 22 for displaying a pistol in public complained of ill-health and was warded at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Centre where he was held under a remand order.
Three days later at the hospital, he was charged for three offences including public nuisance during a protest he held against the Better Beer Festival 2017 at the Selangor state secretariat in Shah Alam in October last year where he smashed several boxes of beer bottles with a sledgehammer.
He was allowed bail but fled the hospital before signing court bail papers for fear of being re-arrested, leading to a police hunt on the suspect being launched.
He went into hiding and posted several audio and video messages alleging he was being "victimised" by the new government but assured police he would surrender himself.
However, it was mere empty promises when he failed to show up after making several appointments to do so.
Police managed to trace his whereabouts to Indonesia which he is believed to have illegally entered as the Immigration Department found no records of him leaving the country.
Investigators then sought the help of their Indonesian counterparts in locating and detaining the fugitive who was nabbed in Jakarta before being extradited today.
Jamal was investigated for a total of nine offences of which the charges for the remaining six cases is expected to be mounted on the fugitive in stages in the near future.
While in hiding last month, the escapee also nominated himself as a candidate for the Umno Youth wing chief post but failed in being elected after he saw dismal support from members.