THREE men, including a politically connected plantation owner, accused of abetting in the murder of prominent Miri land rights activist, Bill Kayong, on June 21 last year, have been discharged and acquitted by the Miri High Court today as the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

Plantation owner Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, 46, walked free out of the court today, along with Chin Wui Ching, 51, and Lie Chang Loon, 38.

Judge Ravinthran N. Paramaguru, however, found a prima facie case had been established against a fourth man, Mohamad Fitri Pauzi, 30, and had ordered him to enter his defence in court on June 14.

Paramaguru had set three days for the trial.

Mohamad had been accused of pulling the trigger that killed Kayong at a traffic light intersection near to the E-Mart supermarket in Tudan at the Miri-Kuala Baram bypass.

He remained silent when the judge asked him if he would like to make an unsworn statement from the dock, or give sworn evidence (which would carry more weight) or remain silent.

His counsel Ranbir Singh told the court that Mohamad had yet to make a decision and would inform the court at the next hearing.

In the preliminary hearing which began on March 7, the prosecution produced 28 witnesses but the prosecution’s case came undone when its two key witnesses, Paul Boniface Apan and Sim Chien Hui, were impeached for having contradictions in their testimonies in court and the cautioned statements they made to the police.

The killing has drawn international attention because Lee’s oil palm plantation company had been locked in a land dispute with native customary rights (NCR) landowners in Sungai Bekelit.

The dispute had been marred by violence, with local Iban landowners accusing Lee’s company of engaging gangsters to intimidate them into giving up their claims.

Lee, whose father is the Temenggong for the Chinese community in Miri and has close links to the BN-affiliated Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), fled to Australia via Singapore two days after the shooting.

Lee then fled to China, but on Dec 12, he was arrested by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in Putian, Fujian Province.

He was then handed over to Malaysian authorities and deported.

Lee was formally arrested on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and flown back to Miri.

He was represented by Orlando Chua while Lie, the second accused was represented by Arthur Lee with Chin, the third accused was represented by David Kuok.

Sarawak state PKR chief Baru Bian reacted to the court decision by claiming the prosecution had botched their case.

“How competent are the DPPs (deputy public prosecutors) to conduct major criminal cases? Were the prosecution witnesses prevented from being influenced to change their stories? Did the prosecution even really try to build up a solid case?” he asked.

“It is a devastating blow for the people who are seeking justice for Bill Kayong’s family,” Baru said.

Kayong was a PKR candidate in last year’s state elections, contesting in the Bekenu seat. He was also the secretary to the PKR Miri division and a key aide to Miri MP Dr Michael Teo. – June 6, 2017.