Iran begins probe into Raisi helicopter crash

 Iran has begun investigating the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying team.

The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri has assigned a high-ranking delegation to investigate the case.

The delegation headed by Ali Abdollahi has been dispatched to the site of the incident and the investigation has already begun.

“The results of the investigations will be announced later when the mission is completed,” IRNA reported.

Raisi was returning from a ceremony to open a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan on Sunday when his helicopter crashed in Varzaqan, northwestern Iran.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a number of senior provincial officials were also on board the helicopter.

- Bernama

Iran has begun investigating the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying team.

The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri has assigned a high-ranking delegation to investigate the case.

The delegation headed by Ali Abdollahi has been dispatched to the site of the incident and the investigation has already begun.

“The results of the investigations will be announced later when the mission is completed,” IRNA reported.

Raisi was returning from a ceremony to open a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan on Sunday when his helicopter crashed in Varzaqan, northwestern Iran.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a number of senior provincial officials were also on board the helicopter.

- Bernama

Court reduces elderly man's jail term to 30 years for neighbour's murder

 

The appellate court has allowed an elderly man’s appeal to reduce his jail sentence to 30 years over the murder of his 77-year-old neighbour four years ago.

A three-person Court of Appeal bench chaired by judge Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim this morning unanimously cut down Mohamad Shaharudin Zakaria’s initial 38-year jail sentence over the 2020 murder of Zaharah Khalid.

Speaking on behalf of fellow appellate bench members Mohamed Zaini Mazlan and Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, Zaidi said they took into account the appellant’s age and health issues.

Earlier during proceedings, the 69-year-old’s counsel Rajit Singh pleaded for a lesser jail term as the appellant was suffering from lung infection, asthma and high blood pressure.

The lawyer submitted that a long prison sentence would have serious consequences on Shaharudin due to the appellant being elderly and his health status.

Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz objected to the appeal, seeking the 38-year jail sentence to be maintained as Shaharudin was spared the rotan stroke.

The prosecutor however said that if the appellate court is still inclined to reduce the sentence, it should be 35 years imprisonment.

On July 26, 2023, the Ipoh High Court meted out the sentence after finding Shaharudin guilty of murdering Zaharah.

Trial judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed ordered Shaharudin to serve the sentence from the date of arrest on May 3, 2020.

‘Dragged and thrown into ditch’

Shaharudin was convicted of intentionally causing Zaharah's death at a house in Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut, Seri Manjung, Manjung at about 8pm on May 3, 2020.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carried the optional death penalty, due to the Abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty Act.

“The victim was dragged and thrown into a ditch. The accused intended to kill her.

“In addition, there were other injuries on the deceased’s body as shown by the post-mortem,“ said deputy public prosecutor Liyana Zawani Mohd Radzi when seeking the High Court to impose an appropriate penalty.

During the High Court proceedings, Hawa Isa, 48, one of the victim’s 12 children, spoke about the effect of her mother’s murder on the family, especially on her disabled sibling who was close to their mother.

“After the incident, people accused my mother of unspeakable things... I hope he gets the appropriate punishment for what he did to my mother,“ she said.

Liyana had sought for Shaharudin to be sentenced to death by hanging due to the brutal act.

Shaharudin’s counsel M Saravanan pleaded for the trial court to reduce the sentence to a custodial term due to the accused’s age so that he “can spend the rest of his life in prison in peace”.

A total of 13 prosecution witnesses and a single defence witness testified throughout the trial which began in 2021. - Mkini

Sept 30 trial for Israeli's gun trafficking, bullet possession case

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has fixed nine days to hear a case against Israeli Shalom Avitan for firearm trafficking and possessing bullets in a hotel in the capital in March.

Judge Norina Zainol Abidin set Sept 30 to Oct 3, and Oct 7 to 11 for the trial, during case management today, reported Free Malaysia Today.

According to deputy public prosecutor Mustaffa P Kunyalam, around 20 witnesses will be called to testify in the trial.

Earlier, Norina granted the prosecution’s request to amend the serial numbers of the Glock and Stoeger Cougar pistols and increase the number of live bullets allegedly found in Avitan’s (above) possession, from 158 to 200.

The 38-year-old Israeli, who entered the country on a valid French passport, claimed trial to the amended charges.

The offences were allegedly committed in a hotel room in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 6.46pm on March 26 and 6pm on March 28.

For the gun trafficking charge under Section 7(1) of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, Avitan faces between 30 and 40 years in jail and can be subjected to a maximum of six strokes of the rotan.

For the bullet possession charge under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960 (Act 206), Avitan could be imprisoned for seven years, fined RM10,000, or both.

Jeffrey Ooi and Navinjit Singh represented Avitan, while deputy public prosecutors Shafiq Hasim and Fazeedah Faik also appeared for the prosecution.