TAWAU – A policeman who was previously a witness in the murder of an e-hailing driver in Tawau last January was charged in the magistrates’ court here today with murdering the victim.
No plea was however recorded from John Kennedy Sanggah, 44, which was read out before magistrate Dzul Elmy Mohd Yunus, who then set July 7 for mention.
John Kennedy was jointly charged with six other individuals who have been charged with murdering Nurman Bakaratu, 61, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm in a palm oil plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Batu 5, Tawau on January 13.
The charge is framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, which provides the death penalty if convicted.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad, Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad, Low Win Hui, and Mohammad Fakhrurazzi Ahmad Salim.
John Kennedy was represented by lawyers Ram Singh, Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki, and Chen Wen Jye.
On February 8, John Kennedy along with police officer Usman Lanaga and civilian Shim Vui Nyen were granted court bonds to return as prosecution witnesses, while five other police officers namely Rosdi Rastam, 44, Dennis Enit, 44, Fabian Rungam, 43, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 39, and civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were charged in the Tawau magistrates’ court with killing Nurman.
On the same day, a senior police officer, Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, was also charged with conspiring with the six individuals to kill the man.
Meanwhile, at the magistrates’ court today, Dzul Elmy also set July 7 for mention of Mat Zaki’s case.
In another magistrates’ court, magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu set July 7 for mention of the case involving the five police officers and a civilian charged with murdering Nurman. – Bernama, April 11, 2023
