PUTRAJAYA, Dec 6 — The Federal Court has fixed February 21 next year to hear a 22-year-old man’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of 23 people in a fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz centre in 2017.
He was detained at the pleasure of the Agong on the order of the High Court on August 17, 2020, after being found guilty of the murder. The accused was 16 years old at the time of the incident.
His lawyer, Haijan Omar, confirmed the date when contacted by Bernama.
A case management was held today before Federal Court deputy registrar Mahyun Yusof, who fixed the hearing date.
The man, together with another person still at large, was charged with murdering and causing the death of 23 people at the tahfiz centre at Jalan Keramat Hujung, Kampung Datuk Keramat, Wangsa Maju in Kuala Lumpur, between 4.15am and 6.45am on September 14, 2017.
The accused was charged with 23 counts of murder, each framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same law, which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
On September 11 this year, the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal and upheld his conviction and prison sentence.
The appellate court also dismissed the prosecution’s appeal against the decision of the High Court in acquitting and discharging another man, also aged 22, for the murder without ordering him to enter his defence. The man was also 16 years old at the time of the incident.
It was learned that no notice of appeal had been filed by the prosecution against the man’s acquittal.
Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001 stipulates that a death sentence shall not be pronounced or recorded against a person convicted of an offence if the child is under the age of 18, and in lieu of the death sentence, as provided under Section 97(2) of the same law, the court shall order the person to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
— Bernama
