KOTA KINABALU: A 66-year-old Sarawakian man escaped the hangman’s noose after the Magistrate’s Court here transferred his case of causing the death of a boy to the Sessions Court here for him to enter his plea.
Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus issued the order yesterday at the request of the prosecution.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Papilus Primus told the court that they had received instructions from the deputy public prosecutor’s office that the original charge against Bujet Otek of murdering the victim be reduced to a lesser charge under Section 304 (a) of the Penal Code.
The indictment carries a jail term of up to 30 years and a fine, upon conviction.
The accused’s initial charge was under Section 302 of the same Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The accused, who was defended by counsel Dato’ Seri Rakhbir Singh, had allegedly committed culpable homicide not amounting to murder on the Filipino teenage boy at a house at Kampung Lobok in Kiulu Tamparuli at 2.20 pm on October 25, 2017.
The court fixed March 9 to re-mention the case and the accused was denied bail.