Joint trial for 19 over death of student

KUALA LUMPUR: All 19 students of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) will be charged jointly with murder, conspiracy to murder and causing injury to another student last May after the High Court here yesterday allowed the prosecution’s application.

Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah made the decision following an application made by deputy public prosecutors Othman Abdullah and Nur Akmal Farhan Aziz.

Azman said the joint trial will be simpler as the crime involves the same accused and witnesses and even Section 330 and Penal Code 302 are inter-related.

Azman set Dec 8 for the remention of the case.

The accused are Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail; Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain; Ahmad Shafwan Berdal; Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala; Luqman Hakim Shamsuri; Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha; Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar; Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah; Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir; Muhammad Hasif Ismail; Muhammad Akmal Akif Alias; Muhammad Adib Iman Fuad Adi Sany and Mohamad Syazwan Musa.

Six others – Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal; Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi; Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi; Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat; Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali – were also charged with murdering and abetting in the murder of Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain.

All of them, aged 21, are charged with committing the offence at 03-05, Jebat hostel block, UPNM, between 2.30am and 5.30am on May 21, and in room 04-10, of the same hostel between 1.30am and 4.30am on May 22.