KOTA KINABALU: The trial of a Filipino youth charged with killing a 17-year-old boy commenced at the High Court yesterday.
Deputy public prosecutor Luke Ressa Balang told the court presided by Justice Ravinthran Paramaguru that Arger Ambali, 23, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
First witness, constable Jabidah Naning, testified that she had lodged a First Information Report on November 8, 2011 when she was on duty between 3pm to 11pm at the information counter of the Menggatal police station.
Jabidah said a telephone call from Corporal Jamri Ubang, received on the same day at 4.45pm, spurred her to lodge the police report.
According to Jabidah, Jamri informed her that five persons had been stabbed at a settlement scheme in Telipok.
Earlier, Luke revealed that the victims were brought to the clinic and one of them had died.
He said the incident happened at the deceased’s house at phase two of the Telipok settlement scheme.
“The prosecution will adduce evidence to prove that the accused had committed the offence,” said Luke.
Luke told the court that 32 to 34 public witnesses would prove that it was the accused who had attacked all the victims.
A few of the victims will also be called to testify on what transpired at the crime scene.
Luke told the court that seven or eight eyewitnesses who could converse in Malay, would also be called in during the trial.
The mother of the deceased, who saw the incident in the house, will be the main witness.
According to Luke, the mother allegedly saw Arger holding a knife to attack the screaming deceased at the house. She was also attacked but managed to run away from the house.
Arger then chased the deceased and stabbed him before going to another house to attack three other persons.
Several public witnesses at the scene helped to apprehend the accused and handed him over to the police.
Luke said the accused pleaded guilty to two charges under Section 324 of the Penal Code and was sentenced to two years’ jail and two strokes of the cane for each charge that ran consecutively.
He reiterated that the prosecution will adduce direct and circumstantial evidence to prove that the injuries inflicted on the deceased by Arger were lethal.
Meanwhile, in another High Court, Justice Chew Soo Ho set February 2-6, 2015 as the hearing dates for a case involving a Filipino who killed his 45-year-old Filipina wife.
Justice Chew also ordered for a counsel to be appointed for Murphy Sakkam Alah, 45.
The accused had allegedly murdered his wife at 9.30am on August 21 at the workers’ house at a construction site in Kampung Ganang, Kepayan.