Tawau court sentences Filipino to 80 years’ jail, 24 strokes of rotan over killing of two Indonesian men in Semporna

TAWAU, Feb 26 — The Tawau High Court today sentenced an unemployed Filipino man to 80 years jail and 24 strokes of the rotan on two charges of killing two Indonesian men in Semporna two years ago.

The court handed down the sentence on Nurhan Khalid, 31, after he pleaded guilty to the charges read to him before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol.

Duncan sentenced Nurhan to 40 years in jail and 12 strokes of the rotan for each charge, however, the accused was ordered to serve his sentence concurrently from the date of his arrest on June 26, 2022. Therefore, Nurhan only needs to serve a prison sentence of 40 years.

The accused was charged with the murders of Hipang Iba Bernadus and Tomas Yohanes at a church in Ladang Pinang, Semporna between 4pm and 5pm on June 26, 2022.

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The charges were framed in accordance with Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the death penalty or if not sentenced to death shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years, as well as not less than 12 strokes of the rotan.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hurman Hussain prosecuted while lawyers Jhassary P Kang and Jhesseny P Kang appeared for the accused.

Meanwhile, in another court, Duncan sentenced another Filipino man to 30 years jail and 12 strokes of the rotan after the man pleaded guilty to distributing drugs in Lahad Datu last year.

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The accused, Isnawi Sarawi, 45, in charges read to him in the Bajau language, was accused of distributing 199.71 grammes of syabu in Jalan Kampung Panji and Jalan Pantai, Lahad Datu at 3.30pm on February 1 last year.

He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which can be punished under Section 39B(2) of the same act which is the death penalty or life imprisonment, and shall, if not sentenced to death, be given not less than 15 strokes of the rotan.

The court ordered Isnawi to serve his prison sentence from the date of his arrest on February 1, 2023.

The case was also prosecuted by Hurman while the accused was represented by lawyer Vivian Thien. — Bernama