Ambank founder murder case: Taxi driver knows location of pistol and bullets

The High Court here today heard that taxi driver Chew Siang Chee, convicted for possession of a pistol and four live bullets in connection with the murder of Arab-Malaysian Banking Group (Ambank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi, had knowledge of the ownership of the firearm and bullets.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the court that the accused's action of showing the location of the pistol and bullets proved that only he knew of the location.

"Moreover, the letter box was locked. If it was not locked, how could we possibly say that the accused did not know about the matter (pistol and bullets)?

"Therefore, I urge the court to dismiss the accused's appeal and uphold the conviction against him," he said before judge Kamardin Hashim, in the rehearing Chew's appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for possession of the pistol and bullets.

Chew's counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik argued that his client knew the location of the letter box and not the possession of the pistol and bullets.

"There was no evidence to show the accused kept the pistol and bullets in the letter box as he did not live in the condominium.

"The accused's wife (first prosecution witness) had also told the police that the accused did not have the key to the letter box.

Hence, there was no prima facie case on the two charges made by the prosecution against the accused, the counsel submitted.

The court then set this Oct 1 for decision on the appeal case.

Last Aug 19, the Court of Appeal ordered the High Court here to hear again Chew's appeal against his conviction and sentence of a jail term totalling 14 years and six strokes of the cane.

On Sept 4, last year, High Court judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin dismissed Chew's appeal against the conviction and sentence but amended his jail term to run concurrently, which meant that Chew would only have to serve 10 years.

Chew, 46, had appealed to the High Court after the Sessions Court found him guilty of possessing a Walther pistol and four live bullets at the Desa Cindaimas condominium in Jalan Kuchai Lama, at 5.45pm on Aug 3, 2013.

He was sentenced to 10 years' jail and six strokes of the cane for possession of the pistol, and four years' jail for possession of the bullets.

Initially, Chew was ordered to serve the jail sentences consecutively from the date of his arrest, which was July 30, 2013.

Hussain Ahmad, 76, died while a woman was seriously after being shot at when they emerged from the Kuan Yin Temple in Lorong Ceylon, here, on July 29,2013.