KOTA KINABALU: Eight people, including seven policemen formerly with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), have pleaded not guilty at the Tawau High Court to charges of murdering an e-hailing driver.
The eight, including former Esscom intelligence chief Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, who faces two charges of abetment in the murder case, made their plea before Justice Lim Hock Leng on Tuesday (July 25).
The former policemen and a civilian nodded and pleaded not guilty after the charges were read separately by Justice Lim.
Mat Zaki faces two charges of abetment to kill Nurman Bakaratu, 61, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas, Batu 5, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13.
Others who pleaded not guilty were policemen John Kennedy Sanggah; Rosdi Rastam, 44; Dennis Anat Enit, 44; Fabian Rungam, 43; Khairul Azman Bakar, 47; Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 39; and civilian Vivian Fabian.
Mat Zaki faces two abetment charges that fall under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 302 (for murder) of the same Code.
Kennedy was charged on April 11 this year while the others were charged at the Tawau Magistrate’s Court on Feb 8.
No pleas were recorded until the case was transferred to the Tawau High Court.
All the policemen in the case have been removed from their positions.
On Jan 30, the victim's ex-wife Nurima Juli, 33, who is unemployed, was charged with the murder at the oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas, Batu 5, Tawau, between 7.30pm and 9pm on Jan 13.
