Niah plantation farmhand charged with murdering Indonesian man

MIRI (Sept 25): A private oil palm farm worker was charged in the Sessions Court here today with the murder of an Indonesian man in July this year.

Fancy Jugo, 29, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides the death penalty or a minimum of 30 years’ jail, and if not sentenced to death must be punished with no less than 12 strokes of the cane.

No plea was recorded from the accused as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Fancy is accused of murdering Gafur, 40, between 8am and 10am on July 29 at a private oil palm farm in Sebubok, Niah.

The farm belongs to the accused’s grandfather.

Prosecuting officer ASP Koay Kok Ping applied for the accused to be further detained and not allowed bail.

Judge Azreena Aziz allowed the application and ordered Fancy, who was unrepresented, to be further detained in Miri Central Prison.

The judge also fixed Oct 22 this year for further mention of the case at the Batu Niah Magistrates’ Court.

Meanwhile, case investigating officer ASP Barry Banyuk applied for two other suspects who were arrested alongside the accused to be released on RM5,000 bond with one local surety.

The court was informed that the duo, aged 29 and 70, are to be called as prosecution witnesses.

Following a request from the two men for the bond amount to be reduced, the court set the bond at RM1,000 with one local surety each, and ordered them to be available whenever their presence was required during the trial.