Hearing on murder case vacated as four accused quarantined

KUALA LUMPUR: The hearing on the murder of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, which was supposed to continue yesterday, had to be vacated as four of the accused in the case are in quarantine for Covid-19.

However, deputy public prosecutor N. Joy Jothi, when contacted by reporters yesterday, said the trial would continue today (Feb 5).

“The trial is supposed to continue today, but today’s hearing has been vacated because the four accused will only complete their quarantine period today (Feb 4),” he said, adding that the four accused are in quarantine at the Alor Setar Prison, Kedah.

Yesterday’s hearing was set for the prosecution to cross-examine the 19th defence witness, Head of the Forensic Medicine Department, Sungai Buloh Hospital Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan.

On July 31, 2019, High Court judge Datuk Azman Abdullah ordered 18 UPNM students, now aged 24, to enter their defence on charges of murdering, conspiring to murder and injuring Zulfarhan Osman.

Five of them, Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mod Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat and Mohamad Shobirin Sabri are facing charges under Section 302 0f the Penal Code with murdering Zulfarhan.

Another, Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali was charged under Section 109 of the same law with abetting in the murder.

The offence was allegedly committed in room 04-10, accommodation block, Jebat hostel, UPNM, between 4.45 am and 5.45 am on May 22, 2017.

Both the charges provide for the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

The six of them, together with 12 others, were also ordered to make their defence against the charge of injuring the victim.

The 12 include Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri and Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha.

The others are Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif, Muhammad Adib Iman and Mohamad Syazwan.

They were charged with intentionally injuring Zulfarhan, to obtain a confession that the victim had stolen a laptop. The offence under Section 330 of the Penal Code read with Section 34, carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.

It was allegedly committed in room 03-05, UPNM Jebat hostel block at Perdana Camp, Sungai Besi between 2.30 am and 5.30 am on May 21, 2017.