Court Told Ebit Lew and Staff Used Mobile Number Registered Under Wife’s Name
TENOM: The Magistrate’s Court here heard on Wednesday (Oct 22) that the mobile phone number used by popular preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew, better known as Ebit Lew, and his staff was registered under his wife’s name.
The revelation came from Farah Pardani, 43, the preacher’s wife, who testified as the 16th prosecution witness in the ongoing sexual harassment trial involving Ebit.
Farah told the court that two mobile numbers were registered under her name, and one of them was shared between her husband and his staff.
According to her testimony, the phone in question was used by Ebit’s staff for video production, livestreaming, content management, and video editing, while Ebit himself used the same device for text messaging, video production, and content updates.
Farah also confirmed that Ebit did not own any other phone number and that the number was no longer in use after the phone was confiscated by authorities in 2021.
During cross-examination, Farah admitted that she did not inform police about Ebit’s staff using the phone when her statement was first recorded, claiming she did not fully understand the questions asked by investigators at the time.
When Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nor Azizah Mohamad asked if she sought clarification from the police about the questions she did not understand, Farah replied, “I do not remember.”
DPP Nor Azizah then pointed out inconsistencies between Farah’s current testimony and her 2021 police statement, noting that she had earlier said the phone was used solely by Ebit.
Farah explained, “What I meant was that the investigating officer wanted to know who was holding and using the phone. When my husband needed to film or meet someone for content, he would pass the phone to his staff. I didn’t realize that I needed to specify that during the questioning.”
The prosecution team is led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Analia Kamaruddin and Muhammad Hidayat Wahab, while Ebit is represented by Datuk Ram Singh, Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki, Timothy Daut, and Prabjit Singh Gill.
Ebit, 38, faces 11 charges under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting the modesty of a woman by allegedly sending obscene words and pictures via WhatsApp between March and June 2021. If convicted, he faces up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The trial before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani is set to continue on Thursday (Oct 23).
— Voice of Malaysia News