Sepanggar body in bin case: Court grants extra month for suspect’s psychiatric report

“KOTA KINABALU, May 16 — The Magistrates’ Court here has allowed a one-month extension for the mental evaluation of a fishmonger charged with murdering a woman, whose body parts were found at a communal rubbish bin in Indah Permai Sepanggar last February. Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus granted the application for Piluta Samad, 71, after the prosecution informed the court that his psychiatric report was not ready. The prosecution had requested ample time for further evaluation. On April 15, Piluta was referred to Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang for a 30-day observation after the Magistrate allowed an application made by his legal team under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Piluta’s legal team led by Datuk Ram Singh raised no objection to the extension request. The court then fixed June 25 for further mention of the case and ordered for Piluta, who was not in court today, to be further detained in custody pending disposal of the case. Prosecuting officer Insp Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah stood in for deputy public prosecutor Kareena Kaur Gill Karamjit Singh, while Piluta’s legal team also included counsel Joan Goh, Ian Vun, and Prem Elmer Ganasan. Piluta has been charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death sentence or a jail term of up to 40 years and if not sentenced to death, the offender is liable to a maximum 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction. He is accused of murdering 44-year-old Hamidah Husin @ Lisa, an undocumented resident, at an unnumbered house in Kampung Sri Kenangan, Jalan Sepanggar at 7pm on Feb 11. It was reported that on Feb 12, that Hamidah’s body was dismembered and then discarded at the site. A man believed to be her fiancé was arrested on the same day. — The Borneo Post

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