Trio plead not guilty to murder charge

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KOTA KINABALU: Three local men pleaded not guilty at the High Court here yesterday to a joint charge of murdering a 27-year-old man.

Azhalisam Ahmad, 25, Johan Joy Tamin, 32, and Mohamad Ahmad, 28, are accused of murdering one Musleh Salleh, 27, at a billiard shop in Menggatal New Township at about 5.10pm on Jan 5.

The trio are liable to the mandatory death sentence if found guilty of the offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Justice Datuk David Wong Dak Wah set Jan 2, next year for re-mention of the case and in the meantime, ordered all the accused to be remanded further under Section 259 of the Criminal Procedure Code pending disposal of the case, as the offence provides no bail.

Azhalisam, Johan and Mohamad are represented by counsel Muammar Julkarnain, Datu Baginda Datu Laja and Hamid Ismail respectively, while deputy public prosecutor Uma Devi Balasubramaniam prosecuted.

In another case, the court will deliver its judgement on Dec 14, on the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of a local man from a charge of possessing 43.98 grams of methamphetamine.

David deferred his judgement after hearing submissions from Uma and a reply from counsel Nelson W. Angang who acted for Ghazali Ahmad, 39.

The Sessions Court had on June 18, acquitted and discharged Ghazali without his defence being called after ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish a case against him.

Ghazali had allegedly possessed the drug in front of a room of a hotel here about 3.45pm on August 24, 2011.

The offence, under Section 39A (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, carries a life imprisonment or a jail term of not less than five years and is also liable to whipping of not less than 10 strokes upon conviction.

The respondent is represented by counsel Bartholomew Jingulam.