KOTA KINABALU: Bail was granted to former MasterChef finalist Etiqah Noorashikeen Mohd Sulong, who had been charged with her husband for the murder of their maid.
The Court of Appeal panel consisting of Justices Lee Swee Seng, Supang Lian and M. Gunalan unanimously allowed for her to be granted bail due to special circumstances.
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Proceedings were via zoom from Putrajaya and the panel reached their decision after hearing submissions from Etiqah's lawyer Datuk Seri K. Rakhbir Singh and Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.
Rakhbir said he had appealed for the bail on grounds that Etiqah suffered from psychiatric illness as well as anxiety attacks.
He also submitted that Etiqah's twin children were both autistic and her parents were too ill to care for the children.
Rakhbir said the three men bench found merits in his application for special circumstances to grant the bail.
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The court ordered Etiqa, an engineer with an oil company, to post RM30,000 bail with one local surety and surrender her passport and all her travel documents to the Kota Kinabalu Magistrates Court.
She was also ordered to report to Penampang district police headquarters at noon every Monday.
On Dec 29, Etiqah and her husband, a former airlines officer turned contractor, Mohammad Ambree Yunos @ Unos, 40, were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
They were jointly charged with murdering their maid in their apartment at Amber Towers in Lido avenue, Penampang between Dec 10 and Dec 13.
Etiqa's lawyer Rakhbir had initially applied for her bail at the Magistrate's court and then again at the High Court but was rejected both times.
The charge of murder is a non-bailable offence but Malaysian courts under special circumstances have granted bail to the accused.
Etiqah was seen in tears outside the courtroom and thanked the Court of Appeal for granting her bail.