Aug 26 set for hearing appeal in Sibu banker murder case
KUCHING: The Court of Appeal here yesterday fixed Aug 26 for the hearing of the appeal against conviction and sentence of convict Ling Hang Tsyr who abetted in the murder of her husband Stephen Wong Jing Kui, a banker from Sibu, in 2012.
The case was postponed because one of the presiding judges, namely Datuk Stephen Chung from Sibu, recused himself since he is familiar with the co-accused Andrew Tiong King Guan who was Ling's boyfriend.
The other Court of Appeal judges for the case are Dato Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid and Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil.
Ling was sentenced to death on Oct 27, 2017 for abetting the murder of her husband.
Wong was found dead in the bedroom of his house at Ulu Sungai Merah on June 14, 2012 with multiple stab wounds. His wife (Ling) and her boyfriend Tiong as well as hired killer Ling Hoe Ing were arrested and charged over the murder.
Ling and Tiong were charged under Sections 109 and 302 of the Penal Code, while Hoe Ing pleaded guilty to an alternative charge under Section 304 (a) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced to 16 years' jail in 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. As Tiong is currently still at large, the late Wong's family had offered a reward of RM50,000 for information leading to his capture.
Yesterday Ling was represented by counsels Roger Chin, Lim Heng Choo and Steven Sia. DPP Tengku Intan Suraya Tengku Ismail appeared for the prosecution, now respondent in the appeal case. Lawyer Christina Teng held watching brief for the late Wong's immediate family members.