Appeals Court Substitute Life Imprisonment of 9 Filipinos in Lahad Datu Case to Death Sentence

PUTRAJAYA, June 8 (Bernama) -- Nine Filipinos in the Lahad Datu intrusion case were sentenced to death by the Court of Appeal Thursday for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) in 2013. Justice Mohd Zawawi Salleh, leading a three-man panel, allowed the prosecution's appeal to substitute the natural life imprisonment handed down by the Kota Kinabalu High Court which convicted the nine men of the offence, to the death sentence. The Filipinos are Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram, 54, who is the son of the late self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram; Julham Rashid, 70; Virgilio Nemar Patulada @ Mohamad Alam Patulada, 53; Salib Akhmad Emali, 64; Tani Lahad Dahi, 64; Basad H. Manuel, 42; Atik Hussin Abu Bakar, 46; Al-Wazir Osman, 62, and Ismail Yasin, 77. Justice Zawawi said the ultimate sentence was death as there were elements of pre-planned and the planning of the intrusion was meticulously executed. He said the attack by foreign enemies was unprecedented in the Malaysian history and it was ruthless in terms of life, property and traumatising effect. The same court panel, who also comprised Justices Abdul Rahman Sebli and Kamardin Hashim, also upheld the conviction of the nine men for waging war and dismissed their appeal against their conviction. The nine men, in green coloured prison clothes, were among 23 accused with multiple charges of waging war and terrorist-related offence linked to the armed instrusion at Kampung Tanduo between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013. Meanwhile, Justice Zawawi upheld the acquittal of 14 other accused on the charges of waging war and terrorist-related offences.(photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA