KUCHING, May 7 — A Bukit Aman traffic police officer with the rank of lance corporal has been charged in the Magistrates’ Court here today with murder over the fatal shooting of a man at Jalan Stephen Yong last month.

Genesis Mitchell David Reddy, 30, nodded after the charge was read before Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali but no plea was taken as murder falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Genesis, who hails from Kampung Semeba, was charged with murdering Muhammad Zaki Iderus, 34, by fatally shooting the latter at Jalan Stephen Yong on April 26.

The charge comes under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by death, or if not sentenced to death, by imprisonment for 30 to 40 years and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

The court also fixed June 10 for next mention of the case pending the chemist’s report.

The case was prosecuted by a prosecuting officer while Genesis was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation counsels Russell Lim and Brandon Ting.

The case came to light on the morning of April 26 when two men arrived at the Batu Kawa police station around 5.30am, reporting that their friend, Muhammad Zaki, had been shot while inside a car.

Police later found the victim dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

According to Padawan police chief Supt Mohd Irwan Hafiz Md Radzi, the suspects were arrested at various locations between 4pm and 5.30pm the same day, just hours after the initial report.

A pistol loaded with 10 bullets was also seized during the arrests. — The Borneo Post