BINTULU, April 13: The Bintulu High Court today acquitted Chong Yin Seng in the gruesome murder of Leow Siew Chung who is believed to have been beaten to death at a residential area and later moved to a hilltop along Jalan Sebiew Bintulu before his body was set on fire.
Chong and two other accused, Hong Han Loong and Wong Yin Sam, were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for beating Leow to death at a house at Taman Bougainvillea and later setting his body on fire at Jalan Sebiew Bintulu between May 9 to 10 in 2018.
On Sept 15, 2022, the charge against Hong and Wong was dropped. Both were acquitted and became prosecution witnesses.
Today, High Court Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol in delivering his judgment found that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Chong.
The justice found that the prosecution had failed to prove that Leow had in fact died and that his death was caused by Chong.
The prosecution was also found to have failed to establish the exact place, date and time on whether Leow died at the house at Bougainvillea as per charge or on the hilltop along Jalan Sebiew Bintulu.
There was also the lack of proof to show that the bones at the crime scene were those of Leow or that they were human bones.
At the same time, there was a police report that Leow was arrested by police in Johor on July 7, 2019, showing Leow is still alive and at large.
Due to conflicting evidence, the Court ruled that the fundamental flaws and the dismal failure of the prosecution to establish the vital ingredients of the charge has not made out a prima facie case against Chong.
As such, Chong was discharged and acquitted.
Binutlu Deputy Public Prosecutor Jayniesa Laving Jarit prosecuted and Shankar Ram Asnani and You Ying Ying represented Chong. — DayakDaily
