KUANTAN: The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal to increase punishment from life imprisonment to death penalty against nine Filipinos for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the Lahad Datu intrusion three years ago.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said the appeal was filed a day after the decision was made by the High Court judge Stephen Chung Hian Guan at Sabah Prisons Department complex here on July 26.
“We have submitted an appeal for review of the sentence against all nine.
“The sentence imposed against them was inadequate in view of the offense committed by them under the Section 121 of the Penal Code,” he told reporters after the Prosecution Conference held here today.
The nine who were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kota Kinabalu High Court were Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram; Atik Hussin Abu Bakar; Basad H. Manuel; Ismail Yasin, Salib Akhmad Emali; Al Wazir Osman, Tani Lahaddahi, Virgilio Nemar Patulada @ Mohammad Alam and Julham Rashid.
It was reported that the prosecution began its case on Jan 6, 2014 with 30 individuals, comprising 27 Filipinos and three local men, accused of various offences linked to the armed intrusion at Kampung Tanduo between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013.
The prosecution had called 166 witnesses over 239 days of proceeding which ended on Jan 5 this year.