Former tour bus driver charged over Japanese tourist’s death
After nearly a year on the run, a former tour bus driver was brought before the Taiping magistrates’ court today to face charges of driving under the influence of drugs, which resulted in the death of a Japanese tourist last year.
The accused, Hadzarshah Abu Hassan Al Sha’ari, 42, however, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him by an interpreter before magistrate Ahmad Hamdi Mustafar, Harian Metro reported.
According to the charge, the accused, who now works as a lorry driver, was alleged to have driven a bus under the influence of drugs, rendering him incapable of controlling it and causing the death of a passenger, Michiyo Saito.
He was accused of committing the offence at Km230.3 of the North–South Expressway (southbound), near Larut Matang and Selama, at about 1.30pm on Oct 24, 2024.
