Lee (foreground) escaped the gallows after he was acquitted with two others.
Mohamad Fitri (second left) has been called to enter his defence, while Lee (second right) and two others were acquitted.
MIRI: Three men charged with abetting the murder of social activist Bill Kayong on June 21, 2016 at the traffic light intersection near E-Mart Supermarket in Tudan, Miri-Kuala Baram Bypass have been acquitted of all charges in a decision that has shocked the victim’s family and relatives at the High Court here today.
Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, 46, Chin Wui Ching, 51, and Lie Chang Loon, 38, were charged with abetting Mohamad Fitri Pauz, 30, an offence punishable under Section 109 read together with Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carry the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Lee, Chin and Lie were acquitted of all charges while Fitri was called to enter his defence.
High Court Judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru discharged and acquitted the trio after the trial failed to link them to the murder.
“There is no evidence to link all three with the murder case. The only reference to Lee with the murder case was that he was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in December last year, and was earlier allegedly involved in a land dispute.
“Similarly, there was also no evidence to link Chin and Lie with the murder case except they were required to give specimens for a chemistry report for DNA samples, which also gave no evidence to the case. Thus I have to discharge and acquit the three without calling their defence,” he said.
However, with respect to the first accused – Mohamad Fitri – the judge said he was satisfied there was enough credible evidence to call for his defence.
As he delivered his judgement, Mohamad Fitri and three others remained outwardly calm.
The court was adjourned to June 14 for Mohamad Fitri, who is the first accused to enter his defence.
Ravinthran said the accused was given three electives: first, he can remain silent which means he can be convicted, or he can give an unsworn statement from the dock which will not be ignored and last of all, he can give sworn evidence and the evidence would be given more weight than unsworn evidence.
The counsel for the accused, Ranbir Singh said Mohamad Fitri has yet to make the decision and will inform the Court on the next date of sitting.
Mohamad Fitri, a bouncer, had pleaded not guilty to killing Bill.
He is charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for a mandatory death sentence.
Since March 7, a total of 28 prosecution witnesses, including investigating officer ASP Lee Chee Keat, have been called to testify.
Also representing the accused were Orlando Chua, Arthur Lee and David Kuok, while the three deputy public prosecutors were Mohd Fuad Abdul Aziz, Hadya Farizal, and Wan Mohammad I’zzat Wan Abdullah.
Simon Siah and Majen Panyog held a watching brief for the family of the victim.
Bill, who was also known as Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, was shot at a traffic light intersection in Tudan, Miri-Kuala Baram bypass.
Lee, a businessman, was deported from China after he was caught by the Ministry of Public Security in Putiian Fujian Province on Dec 12 and subsequently handed over to Malaysian authorities.
Allegedly the mastermind behind the murder, Lee was deported under the escort of a special taskforce led personally by state CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar.
Lie is a pub owner, while Chin is a personal assistant to Lee.