JOHOR BARU: Four men have been charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with murdering their colleague at an entertainment centre earlier this month.
The accused Poh Kien Huat, 28, Mohamad Ashiq Othman, 31, Wong Sew Hau, 48, and Lim Wee Huang, 32, nodded their heads after the charge against them was read in front of Magistrate Hidayatul Syuhada Shamsudin here on Wednesday (Feb 14).
Based on the charge sheet, the four were accused with common intent of murder by causing the death of Hah Chun Fai, 24, at the office of an entertainment premises along Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir here, between 2.30am and 11.15am on Feb 4.
The four accused were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Act, which carries a death sentence or a maximum prison term of 40 years and if not sentenced to hanging, must be whipped up to 12 times, if convicted.
No plea was recorded from them with no bail being offered and Hidayatul Syuhada then set May 23 for case management.
Meanwhile, in a separate Magistrate's Court, Poh, together with two more accused Loh Kah Chye, 29, and Lau Ngie Fong, 37, were charged with allegedly locking up the same victim in a room of an entertainment premises along Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/2 in Taman Sutera Utama here between 2am and 2.20am on the same date.
They pleaded not guilty to the offence after the charge against them was read out in front of Magistrate R. Salini.
The three accused were charged under Section 342 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Act, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of one year or a fine of up to RM2,000 or both, if convicted.
Magistrate Salini then set bail at RM6,000 against Loh and Lau with one surety each while Poh was not offered bail as he had been earlier charged with murder.
She also set March 21 for case management.
Deputy Public Prosecutors R. Nevina and Nur Ameerah Allaudeen prosecuted the two cases while lawyer Chuah Shyue Chien represented all four accused.
