AG: Govt to appeal acquittals in Bill Kayong’s murder

Sarawak prosecution director preparing detailed report on what transpired during trial which resulted in the acquittals of three men.

PETALING JAYA: The government will appeal against the acquittal of three men charged with abetting in the murder of social activist Bill Kayong, Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali said.

“The prosecution will be filing an appeal against the said acquittals,” Apandi, who is also the public prosecutor, told FMT via WhatsApp.

The prosecution has 14 days to file its notice of appeal.

He said this in response to calls by criminal lawyers that the government must appeal if it was sensitive to public opinion.

There were protests outside the Miri High Court yesterday after the men, including a Sarawak businessman with a “Datuk” title, were acquitted without their defence being called on the charge of abetting in the murder of Kayong last June.

The protesters, comprising Dayak rights activists and Kayong’s family and friends, were especially angry and distraught over the release of the businessman, who was said to have masterminded the murder.

Those freed were Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, Lie Chang Loon and Chin Wui Chung.

However, Mohamad Fitri Pauz, the man accused of pulling the trigger in the mafia-style murder, was ordered to enter defence and answer the charge.

Trial judge P Ravinthran ruled that the prosecution had failed to furnish evidence linking the trio to the murder.

Kayong, 43, whose Muslim name is Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, was gunned down while in his four-wheel drive on June 21 at a traffic light intersection at Lutong, near the E-Mart supermarket, along Jalan Miri-Bintulu.

The killing of the Miri PKR secretary was believed to be linked to his work as an advocate of social issues, especially on indigenous rights and land issues.

Lee had left Miri for Singapore two days after the murder and was later reported to be on the run in Australia.

Meanwhile, FMT understands that Sarawak prosecutions director Kamal Bahrain Omar is preparing a report for Apandi on the evidence that was tendered in court that resulted in the acquittal of the three and Fitri being ordered to enter defence. -FMT