Brothers found guilty over church arson

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today found the two brothers guilty of setting fire to the Metro Tabernacle Church near Taman Melawati in January.

Judge SM Komathy Suppiah said the defence had failed to raise any doubts and the evidence presented by the two was inconsistent.

"The testimony by their friend that the two were involved in burning rubbish is also in doubt. It is a fabrication and afterthought."

Komathy adjourned proceedings for a short while pending mitigation and sentencing.

The two, brothers Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim, 24 (right) and Raja Muhammad Idzham, 20 were jointly charged with mischief by fire under Section 436 of the Penal Code.

The said incident happened on the early morning of Jan 7. The punishment for such an offence is up to 20 years jail and a fine.

They were ordered to make their defence to the charge on July 30 while a third accused - Azuwan Shah Ahmad, 23 - was acquitted when Komathy ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against him.

While submitting earlier today, counsel for the brothers Hanif Hashim said there was doubt over the case as the teacher claimed to have seen the arsonists did not have a clear view of the perpetrators.

"The actual perpetrators are still out there," he said. "My clients were merely arrested at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital."

DPP Azlina Rasdi submitted said the testimony by the brothers' friend that the two were burning a stack of rubbish when they burnt themselves was merely 'a creation' to save the two accused.

[More to follow]