Accused in Najadi murder case told to enter defence again

The man accused of killing Arab-Malaysian Development Bank (now AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi has been ordered by the High Court here to enter his defence for the second time.

Koong Swee Kwan, 48, was also ordered to enter his defence on the charge of attempted murder on Najadi’s wife Cheong Mei Kuen, 54.

Judicial Commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman made the order after finding that the prosecution had shown prima facie in its case against the accused.

The court found that the element of intention had been proven and that Najadi had died of injuries sustained from gunshot wounds.

“The court found that the accused had carried out his action with the knowledge that it was dangerous and could cause death,” he said yesterday.

Ab Karim also fixed Aug 17 and Aug 25 for the accused to enter his defence.

Koong’s lawyer Datuk Jagjit Singh Bant Singh said his client had chosen to testify from the witness stand.

Koong was charged with murdering Najadi at the parking lot of the Kuan Yin temple in Lorong Ceylon here between 1.30pm and 2pm on July 29, 2013.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

He was also charged with the attempted murder of Cheong and causing her injury.

The charge under Section 307 of the Penal Code provides a jail term of up to 20 years upon conviction.

On Sept 5, 2014, High Court judge Justice Mohd Azman Husin convicted Koong of the offences and sentenced him to death for Najadi’s murder, as well as 18 years’ jail for the attempted murder on Cheong.

But on Dec 14 last year, a five-man bench at the Federal Court set aside the conviction and ordered the case to be retried in the High Court.