KUALA LUMPUR: Four men pleaded not guilty in the High Court here today to charges of killing former Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) information technology division director Dr Wan Hassan Wan Embong in a robbery incident at the latter's residence, last year.

Security guard S. Vickeswaran, 23, mailman P. Kogilan and unemployed M. Ravindran, both 24, and electrician T. Sugu, 28, made the plea after the charges against them were read out by an interpreter during the mention of the case before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Aslam Zainuddin.

They were charged with conspiring to commit murder by causing the death of Wan Hassan, 73, at Jalan Mambu, Bukit Bandaraya here, between 3.35 and 4 am on Nov 29.

The charges were filed under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same Code, which provides the mandatory death sentence, if convicted.

One of the accused, Ravindran also pleaded not guilty to injuring Wan Hassan's wife Sarifah Yusof, 71, using a machete at the same place and time under Section 324 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years, or with a fine, or whipping, or any two of the sentences.

The four accused also pleaded not guilty to the charge of jointly committing gang robbery using a machete and hammer on engineer Mohd Muzaffar Zulkifli Martin, 34, involving losses of about RM38,000 at a house in Taman Tiara Titiwangsa, Setapak here, on the same date between 4.12 and 5.30 am, pursuant to Section 395/397 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Dayana Mohamad handled the prosecution while all the accused were represented by lawyer Datuk Sheelan Arjunan.

The court set July 27 for mention, and the trial proceedings for all the cases have been set for Feb 7 and 11, Feb 14 to 18 and Feb 21 to 25 next year.

The media previously reported that the victim died after allegedly being hacked in a robbery incident at his house, while his wife suffered injuries to her right hand.

-- BERNAMA