PUTRAJAYA, Nov 29 — Two “Tuhan Harun” followers are to hang for the murder of Pahang Islamic Religious Department (Jaip) Enforcement Division principal assistant director, Ahmad Raffli Abd Malek, in 2013.
This follows a unanimous decision by a five-man bench of the Federal Court today to dismiss Sumustapha Suradi and Shamsinar Abdul Halim’s final appeals and upheld their convictions and the death penalty.
Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum who led the bench held that the duo’s appeals did not have merit.
The other judges on the bench were Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop and Federal Court judges Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed, Datuk Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin and Datuk Rohana Yusuf.
Sumustapha, 43, and Shamsinar, 41, were sent to the gallows by the Kuantan High Court in 2016 after they were found guilty of murdering Ahmad Raffli.
The 49-year-old deceased was shot outside his house in Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, on November 10, 2013.
The duo lost their appeals at the appellate court, which were dismissed on February 8, this year.
Cult leader Harun Mat Saat, better known as ‘Tuhan Harun’ (God Harun), was also charged with conspiring in the murder. However, the charge against him was dropped on August 26, 2016 after he died at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Kuantan on August 16, 2016 due to respiratory problems.
Lawyer Iskandar Shah Ibrahim represented the duo while deputy public prosecutor Ku Hayati Ku Haron appeared for the prosecution.
The last option left for both men is to file a petition for clemency to the Pardons Board. — Bernama
