Eight people, including seven former policemen from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), have entered not guilty pleas at the Tawau High Court for their alleged involvement in the murder of an e-hailing driver.
Former Esscom intelligence chief, Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, who is facing two charges of abetting the murder, made his plea alongside the other defendants on Tuesday (July 25), before Justice Lim Hock Leng.
Once the charges were read separately by Justice Lim, the former policemen and a civilian nodded and entered their not guilty pleas.
The charges against Mat Zaki involve two counts of abetment to kill Nurman Bakaratu, 61, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas, Batu 5, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on January 13.
The other defendants who pleaded not guilty were policemen John Kennedy Sanggah; Rosdi Rastam, 44; Dennis Anat Enit, 44; Fabian Rungam, 43; Khairul Azman Bakar, 47; Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 39; and civilian Vivian Fabian.
Mat Zaki’s two abetment charges fall under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read in conjunction with Section 302 (for murder) of the same Code.
While Kennedy was charged on April 11 of this year, the others were charged at the Tawau Magistrate’s Court on February 8. The pleas were not recorded until the case was transferred to the Tawau High Court.
All defendants involved in the case have been removed from their positions within the police force.
On January 30, the victim’s ex-wife Nurima Juli, 33, was charged with the murder at the same oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas, Batu 5, Tawau, between 7.30pm and 9pm on January 13.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
