Ravi (in overcoat at centre) updates Bill’s family members and supporters on the latest development in the murder case.
MIRI: The High Court here yesterday fixed Jan 23, 2018 for further mention of a case involving the murder of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Miri branch secretary Bill Kayong on June 21 last year.
Yesterday’s hearing held in the chamber before Senior Assistant Registrar Md Syafique Md Hilmie was to get updated on the hearing in the Court of Appeal against the discharge and acquittal of the second, third and fourth accused.
The trio who are all Mirians are prominent businessman Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, 46, his personal assistant Chin Wui Ching, 51, and pub owner Lie Chang Loon, 38.
On June 6 this year, Judge Ravinthan N Paramaguru discharged and acquitted the trio after the trial failed to link them to Bill’s murder.
First accused Mohamad Fitri Fauzi was supposed to enter his defence on Aug 18 but the trial was postponed, pending the outcome of the hearing in the Court of Appeal.
Earlier yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Aftal Mariz informed Md Syafique that hearing for the appeal had been fixed for Feb 5, 2018 in the Court of Appeal Kuching.
Md Syafique subsequently fixed the tentative date for the continuation of trial in Miri High Court on March 19 and 20, 2018 for Fitri to enter his defence. Fitri, 30, from Dawai 1 Road, Pujut 4D was first charged on July 17, 2016 together with Lee, Chin and Lie.
The trio were charged with abetting Fitri, an offence punishable under Section 109 read together with Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Fitri is charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for a mandatory death sentence. He has pleaded not guilty to killing Bill, also known as Mohd Hasbie Abdullah.
Bill was shot dead inside his 4WD vehicle at a traffic light intersection near E-mart supermarket in Tudan at 8.20am on June 21 last year.
The court ordered Fitri to be further detained at Miri Prison while waiting for the trial. Present yesterday were Fitri’s defence counsel Ranbir Singh as well as Majen Panyog and Ravi Varma Arasu who were holding watching brief for the family of the victim.
The court proceeding on the murder case continued to attract large crowds comprising mostly members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) championing rights on land issues. Bill’s wife Hasykin Hatta and family members were present.