High Court judge wants outSIBU: High Court judge Supang Lian ruled yesterday afternoon that she would recuse herself from continuing with the trial related to the murder of a bank manager at his residence in Ulu Sg Merah on June 14 last year.
She said it was best for another judge to take over to decide whether the remaining charges were groundless.
“I will be writing to the Chief Judge of Sarawak and Sabah on this matter and all parties will be informed in due course of the date of mention.”
She granted the hearing dates blocked for this case were to be vacated.
Earlier, all parties including the DPP Muslim Hamid were basically urging her to recuse herself from hearing the remaining four charges against the first and second accused on grounds that she had been made apprised of the facts surrounding the commission of the offences in the remaining charges.
Supang said she agreed with the counsels and the DPP on this.
“As pointed out by Orlando Chua (counsel for the first accused), the brief facts of the case have been laid before the court and the detailed information therein had disclosed alleged implications against the first and second accused.
“Also, the acceptance of the facts during sentencing of the third accused would mean that I have made up mind on the issues that are for trial. In the circumstance it would be unfair to the first and second accused for me to continue hearing the charges against them.”
Supang sentenced the third accused, Ling Hoe Ing to 16 years’ jail yesterday after being offered an alternative charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
He pleaded guilty to the alternative charge framed under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code which carries a 30 years’ jail term and also liable to fine.
He also admitted that the facts of the case read to him as correct.
The charge preferred to him stated that he has committed murder against Wong Jing Kui, based on the instigation by Tiong King Guan (first accused) and on the conspiracy between Tiong King Guan and Ling Hang Tsyr (second accused), caused the death of Wong Jing Kui, with the intention of causing death, thus had thereby committed an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The offence was committed at Wong’s house in Ulu Sg Merah about 1.30am on June 14 last year.
Hoe Ing is originally charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence if convicted.
The other two accused, 26-year-old salesman Tiong (first accused) and Hang Tsyr, 31, (second accused) the wife of the slain bank manager Wong Jing Kui, 31, are charged with abetting the murder under Section 109 and Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Code for the common intention of the crime.
Tiong also faces additional three charges under Section 115 of the Penal Code for abetment, an offence punishable with death, or imprisonment for life.
Hoe Ing was represented by David Kuok while Tiong by Orlando Chua and Hang Tsyr was defended by three lawyers, namely, Anthony Tai, Sempurai Petrus and Roger Chin.