Seven individuals including six cops charged with killing, abetting murder of e-hailing driver

TAWAU - Six policemen and a civilian were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with killing and abetting the murder of an e-hailing driver last month at an oil palm estate in Tawau.

The policemen Rosdi Rastam, 44, Dennis Anak Enit, 44, Fabian Anak Rungam, 43, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 39; and a civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were charged with killing Nurman Bakaratu, 61 near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Batu 5, Tawau between 7.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Jan 13.

A senior police officer Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, was charged with abetting the murder under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 302 of the same code, both carry the death penalty if convicted.

The six other accused were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code.

No plea was recorded from all the accused after the charges were read out before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Mohd Yunus as murder falls under the purview of the High Court, and the court set April 11 for re-mention.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad, Khairul Azreem Mamat, Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad, Rohaiza Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Fakhrurazzi Ahmad Salim prosecuted the case.

Lawyers Kamarudin Mohamad Chinki and Timothy Daut represented Rosdi; lawyers Chen Wen Jye, Ram Singh, and Kimberly Ye represented Khairul Azman while the other five accused were not represented.

Meanwhile, three other individuals who were brought to court in connection with the case were granted court bonds to return as prosecution witnesses, namely civilian Shim Vui Nyen and policemen Usman Lanaga and John Kennedy Sanggah.

On Jan 30, Nurima Juli, 33, an unemployed woman was charged at the same Magistrate’s Court with murdering Nurman. - BERNAMA