TAWAU: A 30-year-old man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here Thursday with disposing of evidence related to the murder of an e-hailing driver, which received public attention before.
Sadam Kiram was brought before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin during the mention of his case on Thursday.
The Magistrate fixed October 1–3 for trial as well as set April 26 for case management for appointment of counsel for the accused.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Syahnidzam Ahmad in applying for the dates, also informed the court that the case would be handled by the prosecution team from the Putrajaya Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
Sadam, who was first brought to the Magistrate on August 24, 2023, claimed trial for a charge of causing the evidence of a murder case to disappear, namely scissors and a wallet belonging to the deceased Nurman Bakaratu, 61, at the bridge of the Kinabutan Besar river, Jalan Apas, between 7.30 and 11.30 pm on Jan 13, 2023.
The charge under Section 201 of the Penal Code stated that Sadam allegedly committed the offence intending to screen himself from legal punishment.
The charge carries a jail term of up to seven years and the liability of a fine, if convicted.
On January 25, this year, the High Court here acquitted eight individuals, including the former Esscom Chief of Intelligence Staff, Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, from a murder charge and abetting the murder of the e-hailing driver.
Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol decided after hearing the decision of the prosecution team not to proceed with the prosecution of all the individuals following a surprise confession of the prosecution’s main witness, Nurimah Juli, 35, who admitted while giving her evidence that she stabbed her ex-husband (Nurman) with scissors.
Nurimah, the prosecution’s 23rd witness in the trial of the case, revealed the matter on the eighth day of the trial.
