LAHAD DATU: Thirteen teenage boys were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here Tuesday with the murder of their 17-year-old hostel mate.
No plea was recorded from all the accused as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The boys, aged between 16 and 19, are jointly charged with murdering Mohammad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan at Bilik Asrama 7 Resak and 5 Belian, Lahad Datu Vocational College, between 9pm last March 21 and 7.38am the following day (March 22).
The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, which provides the death penalty or imprisonment of up to 40 years and not more than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
The closed proceeding was held before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani, with only the families of the accused allowed in the courtroom.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Juhn Tao, while lawyers Amirul Amin Rashid and Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki represented two of the teenagers.
The other 11 accused were unrepresented.
The court set May 16 for mention pending the chemist and autopsy reports.
