The charges against Mat Zaki, policemen Rosdi Rastam, 44, Denis Ak Anit, 44, Fabian Ak Rungam, 43, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, Azlan Sakaran, 39, and John Kennedy Sanggah, 44, as well as civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were read before Justice Lim Hock Leng.

Rosdi, Denis, Fabian, Khairul, Azlan, Kennedy and Vivien were jointly charged with murdering Nurman Bakaratu, 61, at an oil palm plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Batu 5, Tawau, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13.

The charge, framed under Section 300 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same code, provides for the death penalty upon conviction.

Mat Zaki denied two charges of abetment to kill Nurman with the seven accused under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with the charge for murder.

The court fixed Jan 2 until April next year for trial.

On Feb 8, Rosdi, Denis, Fabian, Khairul, Azlan and Vivien were charged in the Tawau magistrates’ court with murdering Nurman, and Mat Zaki was charged with abetting the murder.

Kennedy was initially a prosecution witness, but on April 11, he was also charged in the magistrates’ court here with murder.

On July 7, Mat Zaki was charged in the magistrates’ court here with abetting Kennedy.