Kuala lumpur: The Federal Court has allocated three days starting January 5 next year to address the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of Samirah Muzaffar and two teenagers in the murder case of former Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan. Lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, representing the defendants, confirmed that the appeal hearings are set for January 5, 7, and 9 next year, following the vacating of the initial November dates.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Court of Appeal had previously upheld the Shah Alam High Court’s ruling on February 8, 2024, which acquitted Samirah and the two teenagers of the murder charge. This followed the High Court’s June 21, 2022 decision, which found that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case, leading to their acquittal without requiring a defense.

The accused, Samirah, who is Nazrin’s widow, and the two teenagers, were charged alongside an Indonesian woman, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who remains at large. They were accused of murdering Nazrin, 45, at his residence in Mutiara Damansara between the night of June 13 and the early hours of June 14, 2018.

The Court of Appeal cited insufficient evidence to ascertain the defendants’ guilt. It noted contradictions between the Chemical Department of Malaysia and the Fire and Rescue Department’s investigators regarding whether the fire was set intentionally. Additionally, issues with the petrol analysis were highlighted, as tests were not conducted using certified methods and crucial analytical steps were omitted by investigators.