Celeb Ustaz Ebit Lew Slapped With 11 Charges Over Alleged Sexual Harassment

By Karissa Lund  •  18 Feb 2022 in News

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According to Harian Metro, well-known preacher Ebit Lew has been charged in Sabah, with 11 counts of alleged acts linked to the sexual harassment of a woman.

He arrived at the circuit court in the Tenom district office at 9am, today (18 Feb) accompanied by his aides.

Ebit, whose full name is Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, pled not guilty to the charges in front of Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani. Trial is scheduled for 20 to 23 April.

He was released after posting bail of RM11,000 to RM1,000 per charge – and two sureties.

Police had initially investigated Ebit under Section 509 of the Penal Code, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 and Section 23 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 following reports by several individuals alleging that the preacher had committed sexual harassment.

Ebit was called by police on 19 Aug last year to give a statement over a sexual harassment video linked to him, which he described as a “brutal slander” against him.

Today, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abdul Jalil Hassan in a statement confirmed the charges under Section 509 of the Penal Code.

This is in relation to lewd images and messages sent via WhatsApp with the intention to intrude upon the privacy of a person.

“All the charges were for offences allegedly committed in Tenom, Sabah, between March and June last year, against a woman. Upon conviction, the accused can be sentenced to prison for up to five years, or fined, or both,” said Abdul Jalil.

“The police urge all parties to refrain from making any speculations or provocation to ensure a smooth proceeding,” he added.

Asked whether Ebit will face other charges, he said police are probing another sexual harassment claim by the same woman.

Besides being widely known for his charity work, Ebit recently courted controversy for the mass-converting of an indigenous community, and seemingly flouting laws while on charity tours local and overseas.