PUTRAJAYA: The lives of Samirah Muzaffar and two teenagers were profoundly altered by their entanglement in the high-profile murder case of former Cradle Fund chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan.
Counsel L. S. Leonard, who appeared for the trio, said his clients had endured great pain and suffering for the past six years as they needed to face the relentless scrutiny of the public eye.
"Finally, justice has prevailed today... they have endured significant suffering since they were remanded in 2018.
"One of the teenagers was also subjected to bullying at school.
"Today, my clients are very happy as the court has proven that this incident was merely an accident," he said when met after the proceeding.
Earlier, a three-member bench Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal of Samirah and two teenagers who were previously accused in the case.
On June 21, 2022, the Shah Alam High Court freed Samirah, who is also Nazrin's widow, and two teenagers, who are now 22 and 19, of murdering Nazrin after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the trio at the end of its case.
The three of them and an Indonesian woman, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, were charged with killing Nazrin, 45, at his house in Mutiara Damansara between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018, and 4am the following day.
Meanwhile, Nazrin's elder sister Che Elainee Che Hassan, 67, said the family accepts today's decision with an open heart.
"We do not want Samirah to be imprisoned or hanged... we are in a dilemma and saddened because my brother died.
"It is God's will, and we accept it.
"Although we are saddened by Nazrin's death, at the same time, we do not want Samirah to be convicted.
"Thus, we accept this decision and pray for our strength," she said.