KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Siblings Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim and Raja Muhammad Idzham Raja Ibrahim had their defence called today at the Sessions Court here for torching the Metro Tabernacle church (picture) earlier this year.
However, the court acquitted the third suspect, Azuwan Shah Ahmad, due to a lack of evidence.
“The prosecution has established a prima facie case against the first (Raja Muhammad Faizal) and second (Raja Muhammad Idzham) accused,” said Judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah today.
“There is no sufficient evidence to link the third accused (Azuwan) with the offence,” she added.
The judge said that the testimonies of witnesses Mohd Razman Azmir Shaharaan and Noor Shahli Nasrullah Baharuddin against the two suspects was supported with enough evidence although no eyewitness could identify the perpetrators.
“I find the evidence of Razman and Shahli to be credible and amply corroborated by (eyewitness) Yong (Choy Yee) and circumstantial evidence,” said Komathy.
“They have implicated the first and second accused. They said they were present at the church on the night the offence was allegedly committed,” she added.
Deputy public prosecutor Azlina Rasdi told the court that Razman and Shahli had seen Raja Muhammad Faizal (picture) and Raja Muhammad Idzham approaching the Metro Tabernacle church, where one of them allegedly broke the windows, after which a fire broke out.
“SP12 (Razman) and SP13 (Shahli) saw the first and second accused stop in front of the church and approach the church,” said Azlina in her submissions.
“SP12 said he saw someone break the window. Then a fire happened,” she added.
The two witnesses also confirmed that Raja Muhammad Faizal and Raja Muhammad Idzham had gathered with them and a few others at Old Town White Coffee restaurant prior the incident, where they plotted to torch the church, said Azlina.
The judge also pointed out that Raja Muhammad Faizal’s injuries matched Yong’s testimony about seeing a man with a burned shirt at the crime scene as the latter was seen at the clinic later with a burned shirt.
“The injuries sustained by the first accused is the same as that said by Yong,” said Komathy.
Komathy added that she was forced to acquit Azuwan although Razman and Shahli had testified about his presence at Old Town White Coffee with the other suspects.
“It is true that Razman and Shahli share that the third accused was present at Old Town. Yong has (also) testified that there was a motorcyclist clad in a jacket,” said Komathy.
“This casts suspicion on the third accused, but it is not enough. So the third accused is acquitted,” added Komathy.
A red-eyed Azuwan told reporters later that he was relieved with the judge’s decision.
“I was just drinking at Old Town,” he said.
On January 29, siblings Raja Muhammad Faizal, 24, and Raja Muhammad Idzham, 22, and their 23-year-old friend Azuwan, all despatch riders, claimed trial to setting fire to the church in Desa Melawati, Wangsa Maju, here.
They were charged with committing mischief with fire, with the intention of destroying the church, at 11.50pm on January 7.
The defence of Raja Muhammad Faizal and Raja Muhammad Idzham has been fixed for hearing on August 9 and 10.
The Metro Tabernacle Church was among several places of worships attacked in January in the wake of the controversial High Court ruling allowing Catholic weekly Herald to use the word “Allah” in its publications.