A 50-year personal assistant to a Datuk was charged in connection with the murder of PKR Miri secretary Bill Kayong at the Miri Magistrate's Court today.

Chin Wui Chung was charged with abetting Lie Chang Loon, Datuk Lee Chee Kiang, who is at large, and Mohamad Fitri Pauzi, in the murder.

He was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 302 in the same code and is liable to face the mandatory death sentence, if convicted.

Lie, 39, was charged under the same sections of the Penal Code at the Miri Magistrate's Court on July 15 while Lee is reported to have fled to Australia from Singapore on July 3.

Police have sought the assistance of Interpol to locate the whereabouts of Lee, believed to be the mastermind in the murder Fitri, 29, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code with the murder of Bill on July 15 at the same court.

READ: Police seize seven firearms from house of Datuk in Miri

No plea was recorded from the accused who appeared calm when the court interpreter read out the charge to him in Chinese before Lower Court Registrar Nuur Hafiza Yatim who then set Sept 23 for re-mention.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mohd Izzat Wan Abdullah appeared for the prosecution while the accused was represented by counsel Ranbhir Singh Sangha.

Chin surrendered at the Miri police station on Aug 18 at 4.50pm with his lawyer.

Besides Lee, who is the owner of plantation company, police are also tracking a 35-year male KTV lounge owner.

Kayong, 43, whose Muslim name was Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, was gunned down in his Toyota Hilux vehicle at about 8.30am on June 21 at a traffic light intersection near the E-Mart supermarket in Jalan Miri-Bintulu, Lutong.