7 men charged with murder of drinking mate

SARIKEI: Seven men were yesterday tentatively charged with murder of a man whose body was found dumped in a palm oil plantation in Ulu Sungai Enseluai, Sare near here on March 18.

The accused, Udi Ambo, 28; Benid Igat, 34; Ngumbang Abang, 37; Madi Nawong, 39; Narawie Manggie, 28; Ali Jon 39; and Enggie Budop, 28 face a murder charge framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code.

However, Magistrate Maris Agan, who did not record any plea from the seven accused, ordered them to be remanded in Sibu Central Prison pending next mention of the case at Sarikei Magistrate’s Court on May 4.

When filing the charge, prosecuting officer Inspector Anbarasu Gobi told the court that the seven accused were arrested at their longhouse along Sungai Sentebu to facilitate their investigation after the police suspected foul play in the case.

A post mortem conducted by a doctor at Sarikei Hospital on March 21 found several stab wounds on the victim’s body, which on March 19 was positively identified by family members as Jampong Jon, 52 of Rumah Rasit, Sungai Sentebu, Anbarasu said.

The doctor (Dr Norliza Ibrahim) concluded that the victim had died of “scrotal injury due to sharp force trauma”, he added.

From their investigation, the police were made to understand that the killing was committed on the night of March 14 when the accused and the victim were enjoying a drinking session at the latter’s house.

In the midst of the session, they went to a nearby garden to collect chillies. It was at this time that the victim had a heated argument with one of the accused who then threw a punch at the chest of the victim.

The other accused later got involved by holding the victim’s hands and legs, Anbarasu said, adding one of the accused asked the one who punched the victim to stab the victim with his knife while at the same time threatening to kill him if he refused.

One of the other accused then pulled a machete from a sheath tied around the victim’s waist and used it to cut the victim’s fingers and foot.

After that, the seven accused fetched water from a nearby hut to wash the blood and carried the victim’s body and dumped it in a palm oil plantation near the chilli garden.

The police had recovered a knife believed to be used in the killing from the house of one of the accused and the victim’s machete near his body, Anbarasu said, adding both exhibits had been sent to the Chemistry Department for further action.