Verdict on tahfiz fire murder appeal postponed to Sept 11

 

Twenty-three people died in the fire at Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah in 2017. (File pic)

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has rescheduled to Sept 11 its decision on an appeal brought by the teenager who was convicted of murdering 23 people in a fire at Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah in 2017.

On the same day, the court will also decide on the prosecution’s appeal against the High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge his co-accused for the same offence without calling for him to enter defence.

The court had previously fixed this Friday to give its verdict, but the date has been vacated.

The prosecution and the defence were informed of the change in the decision date by the court via a letter dated June 20. Lawyer Haijan Omar confirmed the matter when contacted.

On May 11, a three-member Court of Appeal panel comprising Justices Abu Bakar Jais, Che Ruzima Ghazali and See Mee Chun fixed July 14 to hand down their decision on the appeal after hearing submissions from deputy public prosecutor How May Ling, and Haijan, who is representing the two teenagers.

On Aug 17, 2020, the appellant, who is 22 years old now, was convicted by the High Court for murder and was ordered to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang-di-Pertuan Agong.

At the same time, the High Court acquitted and discharged a co-accused, also aged 22 now, for the same offence without calling for his defence.

The duo, who were both 16 years old then, together with another unidentified individual, were charged with murdering and causing the death of 23 people staying at the tahfiz school at Jalan Keramat Hujung in Kampung Datuk Keramat, Wangsa Maju here, between 4.15am and 6.45am on Sept 14, 2017.

During the appeal hearing, Haijan argued that the prosecution had relied only on circumstantial evidence to support their case, with no eyewitness able to confirm the matter.

Meanwhile, in its appeal against the acquittal of the second teenager, the prosecution submitted that the fire must have been caused by more than one perpetrator as it was impossible for a 16-year-old boy to lift two gas cylinders weighing 28kg simultaneously. - FMT