Earlier, six police officers among others were initially charged with conspiring to murder the e-hailing driver.
Cover image via Abdul Rahemang Taiming/New Straits Times
A 35-year-old woman, who previously confessed to murdering her ex-husband during a high-profile trial in January this year, pleaded not guilty to the charge in the Tawau High Court today, 24 September
Nurima Juli, along with her stepbrother, Sadam Kiram, 30, is accused of murdering Nurman Bakaratu, 61, an e-hailing driver, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara in Tawau, Sabah on 13 January last year.
However, both Nurima and Sadam pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to them before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol this morning, according to the New Straits Times.
They are being charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which, if convicted, carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.
The case gained public attention in January when eight people, including a former Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) officer, were initially charged with conspiring to murder Nurman
The eight, including ex-ESSCOM officer senior ACP Datuk Mat Zaki Zain (Rtd), were acquitted after the prosecution dropped the charges, following a confession from Nurima during the trial, reported FMT.
The other accused comprised six police officers and one civilian — Rosdi Rastam, 45; Denis Anit, 45; Fabian Rungam, 44; Khairul Azman Bakar, 47; Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 40; John Kennedy Sanggah, 44; and Vivien Fabian, 34.
Nurima Juli, the former wife of the e-hailing driver, along with her stepbrother, Sadam Kiram, were charged with his murder at the Tawau High Court today, 24 September.
Image via Abdul Rahemang Taiming/New Straits Times
At the time, Nurima's confession, made while testifying as the prosecution's 23rd witness, dramatically shifted the course of the case
Her admission led the prosecution to reconsider its position, resulting in today's formal charges against Nurima and her stepbrother.
During today's proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Nur Nisla Abdul Latif proposed that the case be mentioned again on 7 and 8 October. However, Judge Duncan set 18 October for case management.
Judge Duncan also submitted a recusal application to the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, citing concerns of potential bias. He explained that he had previously presided over the trial in which Nurima was the key witness and felt that continuing to oversee the case could risk an unfair outcome.
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