Trader sent to the gallows for murdering neighbour

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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang High Court here yesterday sentenced to death by hanging a trader after finding him guilty of murdering his neighbour four years ago.

Justice Datuk Abdul Halim Aman made the decision after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing the case beyond reasonable doubts and that the testimony by the accused, Omar Shaari, 49, was merely a denial.

Omar, from Perak, but ran a tomato rice business at Taman Tun Sardon here, was charged with murdering Faridah Mohd Shariff, 46, at a house at Jalan Datuk Keramat here between 11am and 2pm on Sept 12, 2006.

In his written judgment, Abdul Halim said Omar, who was represented by lawyer N Ahilan, had clearly made fictitious stories and attempted to shift the burden by saying that Faridah was killed by his assistant, Farouk  Khan, 25, a Myanmar national.

“The evidence by the accused in his defence is full of doubts. His action in trying to shift the burden to Farouk Khan cannot be accepted.

“How can an illegal immigrant pull and throw the victim’s body into a secondary forest alone when he does not even know Faridah.

“To carry the victim’s body that far, he will need a car and actually, it was the accused who masterminded the crime and Farouk Khan only acted as assistant.

“This is evident from a witness testimony who saw a car in front of the accused’s house on the day of the incident,” he added.

Abdul Halim said the evidence by the accused’s two wives, who testified as defence witnesses, also did not disparage the evidence by the prosecution key witnesses.

Their evidence were merely an explanation to prove that their husband had no financial problems and they were able to make profits from their business, he added.

Omar smiled and said: “Nasiblah (It’s my misfortune)” when Abdul Halim handed down the sentence.

His wife fainted while walking towards him and Omar was seen beside her, stroking her head, until she regained consciousness.

Deputy public prosecutor Arik Zakri Abdul Kadir prosecuted. — Bernama