KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court set Sept 9 to rehear an appeal by a cabbie linked to the murder of banker Hussain Ahmad Najadi to set aside his conviction for possessing a pistol and four live bullets.
Judge Kamardin Hashim fixed the date today during case management of taxi driver Chew Siang Chee's appeal against his collective 14-year jail sentence and six rotan strokes for possession of the firearm and bullets.
Previously on Sept 4 last year, High Court judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin had dismissed 46-year-old Chew's appeal against the Sessions Court conviction and jail sentence handed down on Feb 17 the same year.
However on Aug 19 (this year), the Court of Appeal allowed Chew's appeal on the grounds that Mohd Azman may lacked objectivity when dismissing the bid to set aside the conviction.
Mohd Azman had heard the murder case against a car reposessor alleged to have gunned down 75-year-old Hussain at the Kuan Yin parking lot at Lorong Ceylon Dang Wangi, between 1.30pm and 2pm on July 29, 2013.
During trial, Chew had testified that he ferried murder accused Koong Swee Kwan, 46, to the scene of the crime.
The Sessions Court had found Chew guilty of possessing a 9mm Walther PPK/S with 9mm bullet magazine and four live 9mm bullets, at B-15-2, Desa Cindaimas Condominium, Jalan Sekutu, off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Brickfields, at 5.45pm on Aug, 2013.
In today's matter, counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik acted for appellant Chew while deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin appeared for the public prosecutor who is the respondent in the matter.