KUALA LUMPUR: The trial of a 31-year-old Datuk Seri over the assault of two Rela members ended in handshakes, with the victims receiving RM2,000 each and an acquittal.

Datuk Seri Liow Soon Hee was charged with causing hurt to Lee Weng Poh, 29, and Leong Jun Jie, 23, in a temple incident two years ago.

He was acquitted after paying a RM2,000 compound each to Lee and Leong.

Liow, who was in the dock, stood up and handed over the cash to the victims. The men then shook hands.

The trial was supposed to continue yesterday but the Ampang Magistrate’s Court was informed by Liow’s lawyer Datuk Rajpal Singh that the victims had agreed to settle the case through compound payment under Section 260 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

DPP Nur Intan Syakieraah Zakaria did not object.

Magistrate Mohamad Firdaus Sadina Ali then asked Lee and Leong if they had been forced to accept the compound payments. Through an interpreter, both men denied this.

Mohamad Firdaus: Are you doing this out of your own free will?

Lee and Leong: Yes.

Mohamad Firdaus: Do you understand the effect of this compound payment, that the case will end here?

Lee and Leong: Yes.

Rajpal said his client was remorseful of his actions and wanted to pay compensation.

“We wish to save the court’s time,” he added.

The magistrate then made an order of discharge and acquittal against the accused.

On Nov 3, 2017, Liow pleaded not guilty under Section 323 of the Penal Code to causing hurt to Lee, Leong and Melvin Cheong, another Rela member, at the compound of Kou Ong Yah Temple in Ampang on Oct 27 that year.

In September last year, Cheong withdrew his police report against Liow. This resulted in the Ampang Magistrate’s Court granting Liow a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for the charges linked to Cheong.

Liow was swarmed by the press after yesterday’s proceedings ended but he rushed off in his MPV without saying anything.

He was in the news earlier this week for a different matter. He is among four men that the police are seeking in connection with the May 3 attack at an entertainment outlet in Jalan Klang Lama here.

The police believe that the incident was triggered by jealousy over a woman.