A police personnel escorts Abdul Rahman at Sibu Central police station before handing him over to Singapore police.
SIBU: The Sarawakian handed over by police here to their counterparts in Singapore on Wednesday in connection with the violent spree that struck Kallang in 2010, has been charged with murder.
Donny Meluda, 25 – now known as Abdul Rahman Abdullah following his conversion to Islam – is accused of being part of a four-man gang – all Sarawakians – that killed Indian national Shanmuganathan Dillidurai, 41, between late night of May 29 and the early hours of May 30, 2010 at Kallang Road in Singapore.
According to reports, Shanmuganathan succumbed to serious head injuries sustained during the attack on him by the four. It is also stated that two foreign workers and a Singaporean were also seriously injured in the incident.
Abdul Rahman is the last of the group to be caught. The other three – Hairee Landak, Michael Garing and Tony Imba – were arrested in 2010 and had been convicted in Singapore.
Abdul Rahman was arrested at Sibu Airport on Jan 14 and handed over to Singapore authorities on Jan 18. On Friday, he appeared in court where the charge was read to him by an interpreter.
The accused, who was unrepresented, would remain in detention pending investigations, and will appear in court again this Jan 27. His charge provides for the death penalty upon conviction.
Michael Garing, 27, received a death sentence in April 2015 for the murder of Shanmuganathan. He appealed against the penalty last year and is awaiting the outcome.
Tony Imba, 37, was sentenced to life in prison and 24 strokes of the cane – like Michael, he also appealed against the sentence.
Hairee Landak, 23, was sentenced to 33 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane.