MELAKA: A 40-year-old unemployed man was charged in the Magistrate's Court in Ayer Keroh here with the murder of a man whose decomposed body was allegedly concealed inside a mattress for nearly two months.
The accused, Kamil Harris Mohd Abd Nasir, was charged before Magistrate Uthman Abd Ghani on Thursday (June 11).
However, no plea was recorded as the offence falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
According to the charge, the accused had allegedly murdered a 40-year-old man between 10pm on March 30 and 3am on March 31 at a house in Taman Seri Pandan 1, Jalan Pokok Mangga, in the Melaka Tengah district.
The offence, punishable under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and not fewer than 12 strokes of the rotan if the death sentence is not imposed.
Inspector Nur Zaidah Muhamad Zailani appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.
The court fixed July 29 as the next mention date pending the post-mortem report.
The victim's death came to light on May 28 after the owner of the premises discovered a decomposed body on the first floor of a shophouse and alerted the police.
Melaka police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar had previously said the body was found wrapped inside a folded mattress, with both hands believed to have been tied, leading police to suspect foul play.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the accused on the same day and a urine screening test found him positive for methamphetamine.
Checks also revealed the accused had seven previous criminal records.
Police also believe the alleged murder was triggered by a misunderstanding and accusations involving the suspect's family, which allegedly led to an argument between the two men while they were taking drugs.
