LAHAD DATU: Thirteen male teens were charged at a Magistrate's Court here with the murder of a 17-year-old boy at a vocational school here last month.
However, no plea was recorded from the accused as murder cases are under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
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The 13 teens, aged from 16 to 19 years old, are accused of killing Mohammad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, 17, at Dormitory Room 7 Resak and 5 Belian at the Lahad Datu Vocational College between 9pm and 7.38am on March 21 and 22.
They 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 prison term of not less than 30 years, with a maximum of 40 years in jail, and if not sentenced to death, must be whipped up to 12 times, if convicted.
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The closed-door proceedings were held before Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani at 9am and only the families of the accused were allowed in the courtroom as the case involves juveniles.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Juhn Tao prosecuted while lawyers Amirul Amin Rashid and Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki represented two of the accused. The remaining 11 accused were unrepresented.
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Magistrate Nur Asyraf set May 16 for the next mention of the case while awaiting the chemistry and post-mortem reports.
The 13 accused were arrested on March 22 by police after the warden of the dormitory found Mohammad Nazmie dead in the dormitory.
Initial police investigations said that the victim was beaten up because he was suspected of "stealing" RM85 that two other boys said was "missing".
