FORMER Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram will lead the defence team in clerk Sam Ke Ting’s appeal against her conviction and jail sentence for reckless driving, which caused the death of eight teenagers who were riding on modified bicycles commonly known as basikal lajak. 

Lawyer Harvinderjit Singh confirmed the matter.

He said he will appear with Sri Ram to represent Sam and their appointments were finalised today.

Harvinderjit Singh said Sam met Sri Ram at his office today and he has agreed to conduct the appeal for her, adding that her lawyer Faizal Mokhtar would also be part of the legal team.

He said he would inform the Court of Appeal deputy registrar on their appointments and also seek for the appeal records to be provided to prepare the case as well as to prepare the petition of appeal.

A case management on Sam’s appeal has been set on May 11 before deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron.

On April 18, the Court of Appeal granted leave to Sam to appeal against her six-year jail sentence and RM6,000 fine imposed by the High Court.

The Court of Appeal had allowed Sam’s application to stay the execution of the jail sentence and fine imposed by the High Court last April 13, and released her on bail of RM10,000 with one surety pending the hearing of her appeal. 

High Judge Abu Bakar Katar meted out the jail sentence and fine on Sam after allowing the prosecution’s appeal to set aside the magistrate’s court’s decision on October 10 last year, which acquitted and discharged the woman. 

He also ordered the woman to be jailed for six months if she failed to pay the fine and a three-year driving ban upon completion of her prison term. 

Sam, who was 22 years old at the time of the incident, was charged with committing the offence at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Johor Baru, Johor at 3.20am on February 18, 2017.

The eight killed in the incident were Mohamad Azrie Danish Zulkefli, 14; Muhamad Shahrul Izzwan Azzuraimie, 14; Muhammad Firdauz Danish Mohd Azhar, 16; Fauzan Halmijan, 13; Mohamad Azhar Amir, 16; Muhammad Harith Iskandar Abdullah, 14; Muhammad Shahrul Nizam Marudin, 14 and Haizad Kasrin, 16. – Bernama, May 5, 2022.