Federal Court upholds death sentence of businessman for exec’s murder

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Court has affirmed the conviction and death sentence against a businessman charged with murdering a female marketing executive at a golf resort 12 years ago.
 
In dismissing Shahril Jaafar’s final appeal on Thursday (Jan 25), Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif said his conviction for murder was safe.
 
Justice Md Raus upheld the High Court’s decision which convicted and sentenced the appellant to death that was affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
 
Justice Md Raus, who chaired the five-man bench, said their decision was unanimous.
 
“We are of the view with the appellate court’s ruling that the High Court was right to convict Shahril based on circumstantial evidence which pointed that the appellant was the person responsible for causing the death of Chee Gaik Yap,” he said.
 
Justices Hassan Lah, Zaharah Ibrahim, Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha and Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin were also on the panel.
 
Shahril, 36, filed an appeal against the decision of the Alor Setar High Court on Aug 9, 2015 after he was found guilty of murdering Chee, 25. Now he has only one avenue to appeal which is to the Pardon’s Board.
 
Shahril lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal on Nov 29, 2016.
 
Shahril was charged with committing the offence near the Cinta Sayang Club in Taman Ria Jaya, Sungai Petani between 5.30pm on Jan 14 and 3.05am on Jan 15, 2006.

He was initially acquitted by the Alor Setar High Court on June 25, 2013 at the end of the prosecution’s case without calling to enter his defence. 
 
However, on appeal by the prosecution, the Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal and ordered Shahril to enter his defence.

Chee had gone jogging with her younger sister in Kelab Cinta Sayang when she was abducted.
 
Her semi-nude body was found nine hours later in a bush near the jogging track on Jan 15, 2006.