Mohamad Fitri (centre) is escorted out of the courtroom after the case proceedings March 15, 2022. — Borneo Post pic
KUCHING, March 15 — The Federal Court today upheld the death sentence for Mohamad Fitri Pauzi, 35, who was found guilty of murdering social activist Bill Kayong.
A three-judge panel headed by Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan unanimously rejected the final appeal of Mohamad Fitri, after considering the evidence as a whole and was confident the conviction against the appellant was safe.
“Accordingly, the conviction of the appellant is safe and the appellant’s appeal is dismissed,” said Justice Nallini, who sat with Justice Datuk Vernon Ong Lam Kiat and Justice Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli after hearing submissions from lawyers Ranbir Singh and Orlando Chua who represented Mohamad Fitri.
Meanwhile, the prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutors Abdul Ghafar Abdul Latif and Muhammad Azmi Masud.
Earlier on February 18, 2020, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal here chaired by Judge Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan, unanimously rejected Mohamad Fitri’s appeal to set aside the conviction and death sentence imposed on him.
In 2018, Mohamad Fitri was convicted by Miri High Court Judge Ravintharan N. Paramaguru under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the murder of Bill.
He was charged with committing the offence at 8.20am on June 21, 2016 at a traffic light intersection near the Emart Tudan Supermarket.
Bill was shot dead at the traffic light intersection.
During the trial, Ravintharan remarked that Mohamad Fitri had failed to raise any reasonable doubt on the charge, while the face mask and rifle holster presented as case items also had traces of his DNA. — Borneo Post