THE Sarawak-based Lawyer Kamek for Change (LK4C) movement wants Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to reopen the case against three previously accused of murdering of land rights activist Bill Kayong.

A Miri high court judge in 2017 released the three – Stephen Lee, Lie Chang Loon and Chin Wui Chung – after he found there was no prima facie case against them.

Lee was reportedly the mastermind of the killing because Kayong was leading a campaign against an alleged intrusion by an oil palm plantation company, of which Lee was a director, into native customary land.

The appeal to the attorney-general came after the only person convicted of the June 21, 2016 slaying – the gunman Mohd Fitri Pauzi – failed to have his death sentence quashed at the Court of Appeal yesterday.

Kayong was shot dead while waiting in his 4x4 pick-up truck at a traffic light intersection on the morning of June 21. The murder weapon was reported to be a shotgun.

LK4C executive director Murnie Hidayah Anuar said, while they welcomed the court decision on Fitri, they hold the view that Lee, Lie and Chin – who were discharged on June 6, 2017 – “must also be held accountable for the murder”.

“We firmly believe that this was an obvious case of ineptitude and incompetence on the part of the prosecution where many subpoenaed witnesses were not called until the end of prosecution case, and material evidence was not produced and tendered before the trial judge.”

Murnie said “one obvious fact of this whole episode” was the long history of disputes over native land in Sg Bekelit, Bekenu championed by Kayong.

“The failure by the police and the prosecution to establish adequate evidence against the three accused is unjustifiable.”

Murnie said LK4C was also informed the prosecution was unable to serve the notice of appeal against the three men because they had fled into hiding.

“As a consequence, there is now no further appeal against them. This is a complete mockery of justice,” Murnie said. – February 18, 2020.