Foreigner ordered to defend murder charge

SIBU: An Indonesian man was ordered by the High Court here today (Nov 24) to enter his defense against a charge of murdering his countryman, after a prima facie case was established against him.

In delivering his ruling, Justice Wong Siong Tung noted that, having heard the evidence presented at the close of the prosecution’s case and the submissions by both the prosecution and the defense counsel, the court concluded that the prosecution had established a prima facie case for the accused’s commitment of the murder offense.

The defense case is scheduled to be heard on January 9, 2024, at 9 am.

The accused, identified only as Salahudin, 33, was charged with the murder of Mukhlis at an oil palm plantation’s living quarters in Mukah, around 6 am on April 7, 2021.

The charge is framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mark Kenneth Netto presented 13 witnesses for the prosecution during the trial. The accused was represented by legal counsel Ranbir Singh.