Six Myanmar nationals to be charged over slayings

Grave offence: File picture of some of the 11 Myanmar murder suspects being taken to the Jawi magistrate

BUKIT MERTAJAM: At least six of the 11 Myanmar nationals remanded to help investigations into the brutal slaying of their countrymen in Penang are to be charged with murder.

Investigations are ongoing and police hope to charge the other five as well.

But for now, the Deputy Public Prosecutors Office had given the green light to charge only six of them under Section 302 of the Penal Code, said Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi.

“We hope to gather sufficient evidence to charge the other five as well,” he told reporters after presenting aid to flood victims at the Seberang Prai Tengah district police headquarters in Bandar Perda yesterday.

At least 18 Myanmar nationals had been brutally murdered in Penang since January last year, and many arrests were made over several months.