A FORMER teacher, Fadzly Ariffadzilah, 36, was charged in the Alor Gajah magistrate’s court today for the murder of 33-year-old Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, whose body was discovered in a rubbish bin in Alor Gajah, Malacca.
The accused nodded that he understood the charges read by the court interpreter before Magistrate Teoh Shu Yee.
However, no plea was recorded from him as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The accused is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the murder of Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi on the roadside near Kampung Tanjung Rimau Luar, Pulau Sebang, in Alor Gajah between December 26, 2023 and December 31, 2023.
Section 302 provides for the death penalty, or up to 40 years in jail, and whipping, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Muhammad Nazrin Ali Rahim, who was assisted by DPPs Muhammad Azfar Mahmod and Sharina Farhana Nor Sa’ari, asked the court to set a new date to obtain DNA and autopsy reports.
Muhammad Nazrin also objected to any bail under Section 388 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court then fixed October 22 for case mention and did not allow bail for the accused.
The court also told the accused to contact his family to appoint a lawyer to represent him.
Mohd Fadzly had arrived handcuffed and dressed in a blue T-shirt and brown shorts under police guard at 9.10am while the victim’s family members arrived at about 9.45am.
The torso of a woman was discovered on January 6 in a bin in Jalan Alor Gajah-Tampin, near Kampung Rimau, Pulau Sebang. The body was missing a head and all four limbs.
After about eight months, police confirmed that the body had been identified as being that of Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, who was reported missing on December 27 last year.
A couple, aged 36 and 37, was arrested in Perak on August 5 following confirmation of the victim’s identity. – August 19, 2024.
