STILL SMILING: Jaferi smiles to reporters while being escorted to the temporary cell at the courthouse.
KUCHING: The Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed the death sentence on a fisherman for murdering an Indonesian man eight years ago.
A three-member panel of judges comprising Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Mohamed Ali, Datuk Anantham Kasinather and Datuk David Wong Dah Wah, unanimously dismissed Jaferi Ipee’s appeal against the death sentence imposed by the High Court last year and ruled that there was no merit in the appeal.
Jaferi, from Kampung Sejaie in Sadong Jaya was found guilty of murdering Ruslan Rusli at a farmhouse near Sungai Moyan in Batu Kawa about 11.30pm on July 21, 2003.
He was sentenced to death on Oct 22 two years ago after High Court judge Datuk Clement Allan Skinner ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.
Prior to the judgment, the father of one child was discharged and acquitted of the offence on July 7, 2001 without calling for his defence. The prosecution, however, appealed against the decision and it was granted.
The case was remitted to the High Court where he was retried.
Jaferi was convicted of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Ruslan and his wife were staying at a farmhouse in Sungai Moyan belonging to their employer.
The accused and two other persons were said to have demanded money from the couple. When they refused the couple was tied to a tree. Petrol was poured all over the man’s body and he was set alight. The farmhouse was also burnt.
The man’s wife begged the accused and his accomplices to spare her life. They did. She managed to escape and hid in the jungle until daylight and contacted her employer.
On July 22, accompanied by her employer, she made a police report.
DPPs Tetralina Ahmed Fauzi and Mahadhir Mohd Khairudin prosecuted.