‘Trial judge is right, man should hang’

CJ: Evidence in jogger’s death points to trader

KUALA LUMPUR: A businessman found guilty of murdering a woman while she was out jogging at a golf resort 12 years ago is set to be hanged now as he has exhausted all avenues to appeal.

Shahril Jaafar’s only hope now is to apply to the Pardon’s Board for a pardon from the Ruler.

In dismissing Shahril’s final appeal, Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif said the trial judge was right to convict him based on circumstantial evidence.

“The circumstantial evidence showed that the appellant was the person responsible for causing the death of Chee Gaik Yap,” he said yesterday.

Chee, a marketing executive then, had gone jogging with her younger sister in Kelab Cinta Sayang on Jan 15, 2006, when she was abducted. Her semi-nude body was found nine hours later in a bush near the jogging track. She was 25.

Justices Hassan Lah, Zaharah Ibrahim, Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha and Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin were also on the panel.

Shahril, 36, was charged with committing the murder near the Kelab Cinta Sayang in Taman Ria Jaya, Sungai Petani, between 5.30pm on Jan 14 and 3.05am on Jan 15, 2006.

He was initially acquitted by the Alor Setar High Court on June 25, 2013 without being called to enter his defence.

However on Oct 13, 2014, a Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Linton Albert, unanimously set aside the High Court’s decision following the prosecution’s appeal.

The case was then sent back to the High Court for Shahril to enter his defence.

On Aug 9, 2015, the High Court convicted Shahril for the murder based on circumstantial evidence.

Shahril appealed against the conviction but the Court of Appeal dismissed his case on Nov 29, 2016.