WITH MURDERING GIRLFRIEND'S 2-YEAR-OLD SON
BODY IN COOLER BOX: MAN CHARGED
MOHD Affandi Fauzi Ramlee was a picture of calm as he stood in the dock, all eyes in the packed magistrate’s court here trained on him.
He listened as the court interpreter read out the charge to him — murdering his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, Muhammad Qhairullah Abdul Hadi — whose decomposing body was found stuffed in a cooler box at the Paya Nahu Flats here two weeks ago.
No one could tell whether Affandi, who had tested positive for drugs, fully understood he was facing the mandatory death penalty if found guilty of the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Affandi, who was unrepresented, nodded to show he understood the charge, which was read out before magistrate Adibah Husna Zainal Abidin.
While the proceedings were taking place, Netizens across the country vented their anger on him.
Most of them called for Affandi’s head in what they described as a despicable crime.
Outside the courtroom, his father, siblings and relatives waited under a tree, for a chance to catch a glimpse of him after the proceedings.
His father, who was wearing a blue jersey, a baseball cap and a pair of dark sunglass, told the New Straits Times that he preferred to keep his distance from the reporters, who had waited for Affandi’s arrival since 8am.
The father, who only gave his name as Ramlee, said he understood people’s anger since the discovery of the victim’s body, which had led to the arrest of his eldest child.
Affandi, a local boy who grew up at the Paya Nahu Flats here, was charged with murdering Qhairullah between 8am on Oct 27 and 2am on Nov 24.
Deputy public prosecutor Izza Munirah Mansor told the court that the prosecution was not offering any bail as the offence was non-bailable.
Adibah Husna fixed Jan 22 for mention pending autopsy and chemist reports.
It was reported that the victim’s body was found stuffed in a cooler box in a room at a Paya Nahu Flat unit on Nov 24.
The gruesome find was made after police rushed to the unit at 2am in response to a neighbour’s distress call.
The victim’s mother had earlier knocked on the neighbour’s door, cradling the victim’s 4-year-old sister, who was in a critical condition.
The mother had claimed that her daughter was abused by the accused and her son died two weeks ago at his hands.
Qhairullah’s sister is receiving treatment at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here for her injuries.
Kuala Muda police chief Assistant Commissioner Md Zukir Md Isa said the victim’s mother, who was remanded with Affandi, had been released on bail.
It is learnt that she will be the main witness in the murder trial.