Latest news with #HighCourt
The Citizen
29 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Four men sentenced for insurance policy murder of disabled woman
Nosipho Mfana was murdered in her sleep by a hitman hired to help her adopted father cash in on funeral policies. Four men have been given lengthy prison sentences for their role in a plot to murder a disabled woman for monetary gain. The quartet were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and premediated murder following the 2022 death of 23-year-old Nosipho Mfana in KwaNokuthula near Plettenberg Bay. Mfana was murdered in her sleep after her adopted father hired men to kill her in order to collect funeral policy payouts. Hired gunmen Mboneleli Msila and his wife — who was not implicated in the murder plot — adopted Mfana in 2010 when she was 11 years old. The court described Mfana as 'severely mentally disabled', and explained how in 2021 Msila began assisting her in taking out separate funeral policies at three different banks. Each policy would pay out R200 000 in the event of Mfana's death, with Msila, his wife and his sister-in-law the designated beneficiaries. The court heard how Msila and his accomplices then 'put together a well-planned assassination with clearly identified roles for each of the accused, which was driven by greed'. Msila hired Monde Tshemese, Lungisile Lucas and Mbulelo Jack to kill Mfana at Msila's home in KwaNokuthula. On 30 April 2022, Mfana was one of three women sleeping on the lounge floor of their home while Msila slept in another room. Lucas kept watch outside the dwelling while the other two entered — Jack pointing out which of the three women was Mfana, after which Tshemese shot her 15 times. One of three claims rejected The three men fled in a getaway vehicle without taking anything from the home and the two women sleeping near Mfana escaped without injury. Following the incident, Msila submitted the insurance claims, with two of the three paying out the full R200 000. The policies where his wife and sister-in-law were the beneficiaries granted the claims, but the policy where Msila was the beneficiary did not, as the circumstances and cause of death became subject to investigation. Police were tipped off by a man who was collecting scrap near Msila's home on the evening of the murder. 'The plan fell apart when a tin collector observed the three men when they entered the yard. He knew the three men as they lived in the area. He also observed the men leaving the house after numerous shots were fired,' explained Western Cape NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila. Life and 17-year sentences The four men were sentenced by the Western Cape High Court sitting in Knysna on Friday. Msila and Tshemese were given life sentences for conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder, while Tshemese was given an extra five years for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Lucas and Jack each received 17 years behind bars for their role in the plot. 'The cruelty accused one showed in putting together the assassination plan, her funeral policy money and the participants in that plan for their greedy benefit is indicative of the sick society we live in,' said Ntabazalila. NOW READ: Hawks and NPA explain why corruption investigations and prosecutions take long
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
MasterChef finalist, ex-husband jailed 34 years for maid's murder
KOTA KINABALU: A former MasterChef Malaysia finalist and her ex-husband have been sentenced to 34 years in prison each for the 2021 murder of their Indonesian domestic worker at a condominium in Penampang. The High Court found Etiqah Siti Noorashikeen Sulang, 37, and contractor Mohammad Ambree Yunos, 44, guilty of killing 28-year-old Nur Afiyah Daeng Damin between Dec 8 and 11, 2021, at their Amber Tower residence. Justice Lim Hock Leng ordered the jail terms to commence immediately. Ambree was also sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane, while Etiqah was exempted due to her gender. The court ruled that the pair had acted with a common intention, with evidence showing the victim had suffered fatal injuries deliberately inflicted by both accused. "The defence failed to raise reasonable doubt," Lim said in his judgment, adding that the prosecution had successfully proven that the victim's injuries were intentional and jointly caused. The two were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction. Deputy Public Prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, saying the brutality of the case had shocked the nation. "The deceased was a young woman who left her hometown for honest work amid the pandemic, but ended up losing her life at her workplace," Dacia said. She also told the court that the maid suffered daily abuse and was denied her basic rights, including unpaid wages and the ability to return home.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Calcutta HC stays Mamata govt's financial relief scheme for non-teaching staff who lost jobs after SC order
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered an interim stay till September 26 on the West Bengal government's financial scheme to provide interim relief for Group C & D non-teaching employees in state-aided schools, who had recently lost their jobs following the Supreme Court order on April 3. Justice Amrita Sinha in the interim order prohibited the state from implementing the scheme till September 26 or until further orders. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 for some 5,000-odd Group C and D non-teaching employees in state-aided schools who had lost their jobs after the apex court's ruling. The Calcutta High Court's order is related to the West Bengal government's notification providing monthly interim relief of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively to them. Justice Sinha on Friday directed the petitioners to file affidavits within four weeks. The West Bengal government will file an affidavit in reply within a fortnight thereafter before the petition comes up for the next hearing. The waitlisted candidates had filed the petition in the High Court urging for a stay on the state government's relief scheme arguing that the scheme 'frustrated' the Supreme Court order. Reacting to the High Court order, the Trinamool Congress attacked the opposition parties and labelled them as 'real enemies of people of Bengal'. The party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, 'After the Supreme Court's order, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended an interim financial allowance to the affected Group-C and Group-D workers. But the Bangla-Birodhi brigade (anti-Bengal brigade) ran to the Calcutta High Court and got it struck down.' He further added, 'They won't help the people, and they won't let anyone else help either. They are enemies of Bengal. Enemies of our people. Plain and simple.'
Sinar Daily
2 hours ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Najib relieved after court grants DNAA
With this, he said Najib can now concentrate fully on the 1MDB case. By NOOR AZLIDA ALIMIN 20 Jun 2025 05:14pm Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak seen at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex. - Bernama file photo KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is relieved to be free from yet another legal burden after the High Court granted him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) over three money laundering charges involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. His lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, confirmed the development on Friday, stating Najib is relieved to have fewer cases weighing on him, particularly after multiple previous requests for a DNAA. The High Court here today granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over three money laundering charges involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. - Bernama file photo With this, he said Najib can now concentrate fully on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case. The High Court allowed the DNAA application filed on June 11. The decision followed Najib's failed bid to have the charges dropped after the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) rejected his representation on July 31, 2023. Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul had initially requested the court to set a new date for trial. However, Shafee again pressed for a DNAA, pointing out that the case had been ongoing since 2019 with over six years of delays. When asked about the possibility of an appeal, Shafee clarified that the deputy public prosecutor cannot challenge the decision, as the prosecution retains the option to pursue the case again once they are prepared. 'Of course, we hope they do not, because this case has already prejudiced against Najib. So I hope the Attorney General will use his discretion and authority to close the case,' he said. Najib was charged on Feb 3, 2019, with receiving RM27 million from illegal proceeds through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank, Jalan Raja Chulan, on July 8, 2014. The charges were brought under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which carries a maximum of five years in prison, a RM5 million fine, or both, upon conviction. Despite this discharge, Najib continues to serve his sentence at Kajang Prison for misappropriating RM42 million from the same SRC International fund. He began serving his sentence on Aug 23, 2022. He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and a RM210 million fine, which were upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. However, a royal pardon petition filed on Sept 2, 2022, led to the Pardons Board reducing his sentence to six years and the fine to RM50 million.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
A phone call changed everything! Scamsters dupe ASHA worker of ₹4 lakh, she still believes they were ‘good people'
An ASHA worker from Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur fell prey to an elaborate lottery scam that left her not only financially devastated but also psychologically scarred. Pushpalata Jharia, 36, from the Bargi police station area, was lured by the promise of diamonds, gold, and a ₹ 10 lakh cash prize – a lie that spiralled into months of emotional manipulation, financial ruin, and a staged kidnapping. Pushpalata, who balances her role as a health worker with raising two children and supporting a husband doing odd jobs, had only ever believed that rewards came from hard work. But a single phone call in March changed the course of her life. The call came from a foreign number via a VPN line. The caller claimed Pushpalata had won a mega lottery but needed to pay a small processing fee to claim it. What began as a minor payment soon escalated into a string of transfers. The fraudsters kept her on the hook with repeated calls, threats, and false assurances. At one point, she was told her Aadhaar card had been discovered with a courier carrying her 'lottery prize' who had been arrested. Unless she paid more, they warned, she too could be in trouble. Trapped between fear and desperation, Pushpalata sent ₹ 4 lakh over a span of one and a half months. The money was sourced through loans from relatives and desperate pleas for help. 'She kept asking villagers and relatives for money. When we asked why, she said she was helping a relative,' her sister-in-law Asha Jharia told NDTV. 'Once, she even sent money using my daughter's phone. We begged her to stop — we barely had enough for ourselves.' On April 23, Pushpalata visited her maternal home. Three days later, she vanished, telling her family she was headed to Bargi but never returned. A missing person's report was filed on May 4. In reality, she had begun a lonely journey across several cities — Jabalpur, Mumbai, Surat, and Delhi — surviving on free meals, sleeping at stations, and taking up odd jobs. She would use borrowed phones to occasionally contact her family, all while continuing to send money to her unseen handlers. The fraudsters later forced her to record a distressing video. In it, Pushpalata is seen crying and pleading for help. The video was sent to her husband, along with a demand for ₹ 2 lakh. The threats were severe: if the money wasn't paid, her body would be 'chopped into pieces and thrown into the forest.' 'She got a call in March about some prize. Slowly she started sending money. Then one day, we got a video where she was crying, and it said she'd been kidnapped. We were terrified,' her daughter Poonam said. The incident left the family shaken. Pushpalata's mother approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court and filed a habeas corpus plea. On the court's orders, four police teams were assigned to trace her. The breakthrough came when Pushpalata made a call from a stolen phone in Greater Noida. Authorities traced the number and found her on a quiet Monday afternoon. 'She was physically weak and mentally disoriented,' CSP Anjul Mishra of Bargi was quoted by NDTV. 'She's still under the illusion that this was all part of a bigger plan and she will be rewarded in the end.' Even after her rescue, Pushpalata believes the fraudsters are 'good people' and that her prize is still real. Police officials have begun counselling her to help break the psychological hold of the scam. Investigators are now working to trace the digital footprint of the scam, which appears to originate from foreign servers. 'We received multiple audio messages with horrific abuse,' said Mishra. 'The kidnapping video came from a foreign source. The country hosting the IP is not cooperating, making it harder to trace the fraudsters.' Authorities continue their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice while helping Pushpalata regain her footing after a harrowing ordeal that nearly cost her everything.
