Keningau: A 29-year-old police inspector from Perak who was released on police bail seven months ago was charged in the Magistrate's Court, here, Monday with murdering a single mother last year.Ahmad Rizal Umar, who appeared before Magistrate Norhamizah Shaiffuddin, is accused of killing one Kartini Borhan, 27, in a house at Taman Adika, here between 4am and 5am on Sept. 29, 2011.
However, no plea was taken from Rizal. The offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the death sentence on conviction.
Norhamizah fixed June 19 this year for mention of the case after Deputy Public Prosecutor Jamil Aripin applied for a new mention date and requested Rizal to be remanded at Kepayan prison in Kota Kinabalu pending the date.
Earlier, Rizal's counsel Ram Singh raised no objection to the prosecution's application but requested that his client be placed separately from other criminals on the grounds that some of the criminals in detention were put behind bars by Rizal in the course of his duties as a police officer.
In ordering Rizal to be remanded, Norhamizah assured Rizal that keeping alleged police offenders separate from other inmates has been practised under the laws of the country and that similar treatment will be given to him.
The courtroom was packed with the victim's family members as well as Rizal's relatives.
Rizal was on Oct 25, 2011, released on police bail at RM20,000, undeposited in a local surety after he was arrested and remanded for two weeks to assist police investigations into the alleged murder of Kartini, whose house was allegedly broken into at 4.40am on Sept. 29, 2011.
Rizal, who was also injured in the incident, claimed that Kartini had called him for help about an intruder and that he sustained stab wounds on his back, legs and shoulders.
The parents of the victim made repeated appeals for justice through the media and questions were asked on how the accused was allowed to be released even though the results of the DNA investigations were still pending.
