Apex Court upholds death sentence of Najadi’s killer

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a former tow truck driver for the murder of Arab-Malaysian Bank (AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi in 2013.

A three-member bench led by Court of Appeal President Rohana Yusuf also affirmed the 18-year jail term on Koong Swee Kwan for attempting to murder Najadi’s wife Cheong Mei Kuen.

The bench, which also comprised Federal Court judges Abdul Rahman Sebli and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, dismissed Koong’s final appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Justice Rohana said the evidence against Koong was overwhelming.

Koong’s lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said his client’s last recourse is to appeal for clemency to the Pardons’ Board.

He had submitted in the appeal that his client’s defence was not fairly and justly assessed by the trial judge as required by law.

Koong, 52, was accused of committing the offences in the parking lot of the Kuan Yin Temple in Lorong Ceylon in Kuala Lumpur between 1.30pm and 2pm on July 29,2013. — Bernama