A SEVENTH police officer has been charged with the murder of an e-hailing driver at the magistrate’s court in Tawau today.

No plea was recorded from John Kennedy Sanggah, 44, which was read out before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Mohd Yunus, who then set July 7 for mention.

Kennedy was jointly charged with six other individuals with the murder of Nurman Bakaratu, 61, between 7.30pm and 11.30pm in a palm oil plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Batu 5, on January 13.

On February 8, he along with police officer Usman Lanaga and civilian Shim Vui Nyen were granted court bonds to return as prosecution witnesses, while five other police officers – Rosdi Rastam, 44, Dennis Enit, 44, Fabian Rungam, 43, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, and Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 39 – along with civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were charged with murder.

On the same day, a senior police officer, Mat Zaki Md Zain, 58, was also charged with conspiracy to murder.

Meanwhile, today Dzul Elmy also set July 7 for mention of Mat Zaki’s case and, in another court, magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu set the same date for mention of the case involving the five remaining police officers. – Bernama, April 11, 2023.