Sosilawati murder: Federal Court to hear appeal on Oct 31

The Federal Court has set seven days from Oct 31 to hear an appeal by four men convicted for the murder of cosmetics millionairess Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three of her aides.

Lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, counsel for one of the men, R. Matan, said the court would hear the appeal from Oct 31 to Nov 8 excluding the weekend.

The dates was fixed at the last case management proceedings before a Federal Court deputy registrar on June 9 this year.

Former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, 46, and farmhands Matan, 25, T. Thilaiyalagan, 24, and R. Kathavarayan, 36, were sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court on May 25, 2013, for the murder of Sosilawati, 47, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and Sosilawati's driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.

They were found guilty of committing the offence at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang, Tanjung Sepat, in Banting between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30, 2010.

Sosilawati and the three aides were reported missing after they allegedly went to Banting over a land deal.

Pathmanabhan, Matan, Thilaiyalagan and Kathavarayan lost their appeal at the Court of Appeal on Dec 4.

Court of Appeal judge Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who was one of the three judges on the panel, said in her judgement that there was direct evidence to show that Sosilawati and her aides were present in the farm that belonged to Pathmanabhan where they met their deaths.

It will be their final appeal at the Federal Court. -- BERNAMA