PETALING JAYA: Eminent lawyer and retired Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram will head the legal team to appeal against the conviction of clerk Sam Ke Ting, who has been sentenced to six years’ jail for reckless driving.

       Sam was also fined RM6,000 for the accident which resulted in the death of eight teenagers on basikal lajak (modified bicycles) in 2017 in Johor Baru.

       Her legal team will also include Harvinderjit Singh and Muhammad Faizal Mokhtar, who have been representing her from the lower court.

       According to Harvinderjit, they had offered their services pro bono to appeal Sam’s conviction and sentence.

       “Sri Ram has agreed to conduct the appeal for her,” said Harvinderjit when contacted yesterday.

       He added that Sam finalised the appointments yesterday afternoon at Sri Ram’s office.

       The legal team will inform Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron of their appointment as Sam’s legal counsel during case management on May 11.

       Harvinderjit also said the team will ask for appeal records in preparations for the case, adding that a petition of appeal will be filed after that. “If need be, we will also add questions of law to be argued during the appeal,” he added.

       On April 13, High Court judge Justice Abu Bakar Katar sentenced 27-year-old Sam to six years’ jail, a RM6,000 fine and a three-year driving ban after her prison sentence was over, for reckless driving that resulted in the deaths in Jalan Lingkaran Dalam at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017.

       She had previously been acquitted by a Magistrate’s Court on two occasions. The High Court had ruled that the lower court had erred in accepting her defence statement without her testifying under oath.

       The case management for her appeal will be on May 11 via Zoom.