THE trial involving Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, or Ebit Lew, began today at the Tenom magistrate’s court, with a motivational expert who helped a victim of sexual harassment involving the celebrity preacher taking the witness stand.

Mohd Fairuz Abu, 37, told the court he was contacted by a woman using a pseudonym via WhatsApp after he uploaded a post about a preacher involved in a case of sexual harassment with a woman on Facebook on July 26 last year.

“In the beginning, she did not introduce herself and mention her name. She asked me who was the individual (preacher) I was referring to in the post.

“When I mentioned that it was related to Ebit Lew, the woman shared with me screenshots of Lew’s conversation with her, as well as pornographic images (of genitals) Lew sent,” he said before magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani during questioning by deputy public prosecutor Zahida Zakaria.

Fairuz said he also sent the screenshots to a man named Firdaus Wong, who he said was handling a similar case involving the accused with another woman.

When Zahida asked Fairuz what action he took after sending the screenshots to Wong, the witness said that on July 27, 2021, he called the woman on the phone to hear the full chronology of events with regard to the harassment.

“In the beginning, she was scared and felt insecure to share. However, after I calmed her down, she shared everything from A to Z.

“I suggested to the woman to lodge a police report, but she was afraid and said: ‘I’m just a small person. Ebit Lew is a big personality. So, I don’t want to lodge a report’,” he said.

After he made the suggestion, Fairuz said the woman asked for some time to discuss it with her husband. She eventually lodged a police report on August 7, 2021.

Fairuz said he had personally met with the woman and was able to identify her in court.

The witness also recognised Lew, who was sitting in the dock.

Lew, 37, faces 11 charges, among which he is accused of insulting the modesty of a woman in her 40s by sending obscene words to the victim’s phone number via WhatsApp between March and June last year.

The offence, under section 509 of the penal code, carries a maximum five years’ jail, a fine or both. – Bernama, September 27, 2022.