Appeal hearing of slain banker’s wife set for Oct 18
KUCHING: A Court of Appeal judge yesterday recused himself from hearing the appeal of convicted murderer Ling Hang Tsyr, the wife of slain Sibu bank manager Wong Jing Kui.
Judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru made the decision on the grounds of conflict of interest as he is also involved in hearing the custody battle over Ling and Wong’s nine-year-old son.
Following his recusal, Judge Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, leading a three-man bench, adjourned the hearing to Oct 18 this year.
The custody battle between Ling’s family and Wong’s family will be heard today at the Kuching High Court. Wong’s family is the plaintiff.
Ling was sentenced to death by hanging on Oct 27 last year after Sibu High Court Judge Datuk Norcahaya Arshad found her guilty of abetting the killing of her husband six years ago.
Ling is currently remanded at Kuching Prison pending her appeal against her conviction.
She was charged together with one Andrew Tiong King Guan under Section 109 and Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code, which provides for a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Ling and Tiong were accused of committing the offence at a house in Ulu Sungai Merah about 1.30am on June 14, 2012.
The principal offender, Ling Hoe Ing, was charged and convicted under an alternative charge under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Hoe Ing had pleaded guilty to the alternative charge and was sentenced to 16 years in jail on Oct 1, 2013.
After Hoe Ing pleaded guilty, the court gave Tiong and Ling a discharge not amounting to acquittal on their abetment charge, but the charge was reinstated in February 2015 after the prosecution filed an appeal.
A warrant of arrest was then issued against Tiong after he failed to turn up in court when the charge was reinstated. He is currently still at-large, with Wong’s family offering a reward of RM50,000 for information leading to his capture.