Brothers Allowed Final Appeal Over Conviction in Church Arson Case

PUTRAJAYA, 18 JANUARY, 2012: Two brothers who were each sentenced to five years' imprisonment for an arson attack on the Metro Tabernacle Church can proceed with their final appeal over the conviction and sentence.??

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Datuk Sulaiman Daud allowed their application for extension of time to file their petition of appeal.?

Justice Sulaiman, who sat with Justices Datuk Wira Mohtarudin Baki and Datuk Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad, then set Feb 13 to hear the appeal to set aside the conviction and jail sentence, brought by Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim and his younger brother, Raja Muhammad Idzham.?

This is their final appeal after they lost in the appeal to set aside their conviction and jail term when the High Court On May 27 last year upheld the decision of the Sessions Court.??

They had applied for the extension of time through their new lawyer, Salim Bashir, after their petition of appeal filed on Nov 18 was filed out of time.
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The court also granted their application to use their Nov 18 petition of appeal in the appeal hearing on Feb 13.??

During the last proceedings on Dec 14 last year, Salim had told the court that he was appointed to represent the duo at the appeal stage on Nov 15 last year. He subsequently filed the petition of appeal, three days later, on Nov 18 last year.??

He said he had no knowledge when the records of appeal were served to the previous lawyer who represented the brothers at the High Court.?

Despatch rider Raja Muhammad Faizal, 25, and Raja Muhammad Idzham, 23, a bank employee, were each sentenced to five years' imprisonment after they were found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Aug 13, 2010, for causing mischief by torching the church at Jalan 4/4c, Desa Melawati at 11.50 pm on Jan 7, 2010. They were charged along with several others still at large.

Raja Muhammad Faizal and Raja Muhammad Idzham were allowed bail of RM20,000 each by the Sessions Court, pending disposal of their appeal.?

On July 30, 2010, a friend of the brothers, Azuwan Shah Ahmad, 24, who was jointly charged with them, was freed by the Sessions Court without his defence being called.

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- Bernama

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Source: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/38911-brothers-allowed-final-appeal-over-conviction-sentence-in-church-arson-case.html

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