What was the initial High Court decision regarding the rifle charges?

Question

Accepted Answer

The Alor Setar High Court initially acquitted and discharged Julius Christo Katzke on May 30, 2018.

The Federal Court on March 11 reinstated the Alor Setar High Court's May 30, 2018 decision, which had acquitted and discharged Julius Christo Katzke on charges of trafficking rifles and possessing ammunition. This decision by the Federal Court ultimately set aside the Court of Appeal's earlier conviction and sentencing of Katzke.
Acquittal by the High Court

On May 30, 2018, the Alor Setar High Court found Julius Christo Katzke not guilty of the charges brought against him. He was subsequently acquitted and discharged by the court on both counts.
Court of Appeal Overturned High Court Decision

The prosecution appealed the High Court's acquittal, and the Court of Appeal subsequently overturned the earlier decision in October 2018. This appellate ruling convicted Katzke, leading to a life sentence for trafficking seven Benelli Argo E rifles and a four-year jail term for possessing 1,305 rounds of ammunition.
Federal Court's Final Ruling

A five-man panel of the Federal Court, chaired by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, reviewed the case and reinstated the Alor Setar High Court's acquittal. The Federal Court noted that the prosecution's failure to call material witnesses, such as Katzke's girlfriend and the yacht's captain, could have prevented them from excluding the possibility of these individuals having access to the firearms and ammunition.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

What was the initial High Court decision regarding the rifle charges?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends