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A MAN has been charged in the Sessions Court in Kuching with the murder of 22-year-old Francis Chang Ze, who died following a violent attack during an alleged unlawful gathering at an apartment in Jalan Sungai Tapang on 1 December 2024.
The accused, identified as Lu, is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, read together with Section 149, which pertains to offences committed by members of an unlawful assembly.
He is accused of committing the offence alongside 11 other men who remain at large.
The incident is believed to have occurred around 4.30am, where the victim was allegedly assaulted inside a unit at the apartment complex. If convicted, Lu faces the mandatory death penalty or, if not sentenced to death, imprisonment ranging from 30 to 40 years and no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jean Siow Chung Hwei led the prosecution, while Lu was represented by defence counsel Datuk Shankar Ram Asnani and Lim Lian Kee.
Police were alerted to the incident around 4.40am on the morning in question. Officers who arrived at the scene discovered the victim lying motionless inside a bedroom. He was later pronounced dead by medical personnel, with visible slash wounds observed on his body.
Investigations remain ongoing as authorities continue to search for the other individuals allegedly involved in the fatal attack. - September 26, 2025