13 teenagers pleaded not guilty to killing vocational college students

TAWAU: A total of 13 teenagers pleaded not guilty in the High Court here today to the charge of killing a male student at Lahad Datu Vocational College last March.

The charges against all of the young men between the ages of 16 and 19 were read before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol, who then scheduled the case hearings for November 18 to November 22 and November 25 to November 29 this year.

They are accused of killing Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, 17, in Dormitory Rooms 7 Resak and 5 Belian at Lahad Datu Vocational College between 9 p.m. on March 21 and 7.38 a.m. on March 22.

The charges are brought in accordance with Section 302 of the Penal Code, read in conjunction with Section 34 of the same code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for 30 to 40 years and no more than 12 lashes if convicted.

Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat was discovered dead on March 22 in a college dormitory room, lying down with injuries and bruises all over his body.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohd Suhaimi Suryana and Hurman Hussain; nine of the 13 teenagers were represented by lawyers Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki, Datuk Ram Singh, and Chen Wen Jye; one teenager was represented by lawyer Abdul Ghani Zelika; and the other three were not represented by lawyers.

Mohd Suhaimi informed us that his party will call 10 to 12 witnesses to testify during the trial.

On April 2, the 13 students were brought before the Lahad Datu Magistrate’s Court on the charge, and today their case was transferred to the High Court.

On June 13, the High Court rejected the application of seven teenagers to be released on bail pending the next mention of the case because it found that there were no special circumstances that justified the order.