DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD ON DUO FOR MURDER OF SINGAPOREAN ACTRESS

PUTRAJAYA, July 20 (Bernama) -- The conviction and death sentence on two
friends for the murder of Singaporean actress Una Angelia Oliveiro was upheld by
the Court of Appeal here Tuesday.

Justices Hasan Lah, Ahmad Maarop and Sulaiman Daud ruled there was no reason
for the appellate court to disturb the findings of the Kuala Lumpur High Court
because the trial judge had carefully evaluated the evidence of the prosecution
witnesses.

The three-man quorum dismissed the appeals brought by unemployed Mohd Fazli
Ismail, 28, and make-up artist Esma Faizul Zainul Nor, 39, to set aside their
conviction and death sentence by a High Court on Oct 6, last year.

The duo were found guilty of killing the 44-year old Singaporean mother of
three at her bungalow in Jalan Bukit Travers in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur at
11.15am on Nov 14, 2001.

Oliveiro, of Chinese and English parentage, who played the role of 'Opah' in
local sitcom 'Kipas Anggun', was found dead in the dining room with six stab
wounds on her chest.

Hasan noted Esma Faizul's confession to his girlfriend, Siti Sarah Ismail,
who is Mohd Fazli's sister, and a friend, Zaimy Roduan, admitting that he had
killed the actress.

Counsel for the two men argued that their convictions were not safe due to
the presence of unknown DNA found on the dismantled gate at the deceased's house
and fingernails of the deceased, indicating the presence of a third person at
the scene of crime.

Sreekant Pillai, representing Mohd Fazli, submitted that it was the duty of
the prosecution to eliminate the existence of other persons at the crime scene
and the evidence must point to the appellants that they were the ones who
committed the murder.

Amer Hamzah Arshad for Esma Faizul said the trial judge erred in completeely
relying on Esma Faizul's confession in convicting him.
-- BERNAMA


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