KOTA KINABALU: A woman, who admitted to killing her ex-husband while testifying in a high-profile case in Tawau earlier this year, has been charged with murder.
Nurima Juli, 34, and her stepbrother Sadam Kiram, 30, were jointly charged in the Magistrate's Court with the murder of ehailing driver Nurman Barakatu under Section 302 of the Penal Code before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin on Friday (April 26).
Nurima and Sadam were accused of causing the death of Nurman, 61, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13, 2023, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Batu 5.
No plea was recorded from the duo whose case is expected to be transferred to the High Court.
Nurima had testified in the High Court on Jan 25 this year that she killed Nurman with a pair of scissors during the murder trial involving eight people including a former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) intelligence chief.
Following her confession, the Tawau High Court ordered that the eight accused be acquitted.
The prosecution also asked the Magistrate to drop a previous charge of tampering with evidence under Section 201 of Penal Code against Sadam following the latest murder charge against him.
Sadam was charged in August last year with disposing of evidence related to Nurman's murder. He was alleged to have disposed of the scissors at Sungai Kinabutan Besar Bridge close to the crime scene.
Nurima was first charged on Jan 30, 2023, with murder but turned key prosecution witness in the case against the eight people initially charged with Nurman's murder.
Following her confession to the murder, the eight people charged with Nurman's murder were acquitted and released immediately by Tawau High Court Datuk Duncan Sikodol following an application by the prosecution not to proceed with the case.
On July 7, last year Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, along with six policemen and a civilian were charged with Nurman’s murder.
Dayang Aidaku set June 6 for case mention.
Both Nurima and Sadam were not represented while Deputy Public Prosecutor Fakhrurazi Ahmad Salim led the prosecution.
