NewzWarisan president Shafie Apdal was granted a stay of execution of the jail sentence pending his appeal to the High Court against the conviction. PETALING JAYA: The Papar sessions court has sentenced Warisan president Shafie Apdal to five weeks in prison for contempt of court over remarks in relation to the inquest into Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death. However, judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan granted Shafie a stay of execution of the sentence pending the Semporna MP’s appeal to the High Court against his conviction.
In convicting him under Section 99A of the Subordinate Courts Act 1948, Amir ruled that the prosecution had proven its case against Shafie beyond a reasonable doubt. The provision provides for up to six weeks in prison and a maximum RM300 fine, upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutors Mustaffa P Kunyalam and Nadia Izhar prosecuted while lawyers Jakariya Ab Jalil and Chen Ket Chuin represented Shafie.
Speaking at an event in Kinabatangan in September last year, Shafie reportedly described Zara’s death as "murder" and questioned the authorities’ handling of the case, despite the ongoing inquest before Amir. On Oct 23 last year, the attorney-general obtained leave to commence proceedings against Shafie, who is a former Sabah chief minister. Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar.
The inquest into her death continues.
Summary from source