A taxi driver who allegedly ferried the suspected killer of Arab-Malaysian Development Bank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi gets another chance to appeal to the High Court against his conviction and jail sentence for possession of a pistol and live bullets.

A three-member Court of Appeal panel chaired by Mohtarudin Baki today ordered the High Court to rehear Chew Siang Chee’s appeal against his two convictions and sentences totaling 14 years and six strokes of the cane.

Chew’s appeal would be heard in the High Court again before a different judge.

Earlier, his counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik submitted to the court that the High Court judge should not have heard his client's appeal because he (the judge) had presided at the trial of a car repossessor accused of murdering Hussain Ahmad.

He said the judge might not be objective in his finding of facts in Chew’s appeal because he was fully aware of the facts in the murder case where Chew was a prosecution witness.

Sitting with Mohtarudin at the bench were Justice Zakaria Sam and Ahmadi Asnawi. The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.

The court fixed Aug 28 for mention at the High Court.

On Sept 4, last year, justice Mohd Azman Husin dismissed Chew’s appeal against conviction and sentence but amended his jail terms to run concurrently, which meant Chew would only serve 10 years.

Chew, 46, had appealed to the High Court after the Sessions Court found him guilty of possession of a Walther pistol and four live bullets at Desa Cindaimas condominium in Jalan Kuchai Lama, at about 5.45pm on Aug 3, 2013.

He was sentenced to 10 years and six strokes of the cane for possession of the pistol and four years for possession of the bullets.

He was initially ordered to serve the sentences consecutively effective from his arrest on July 30, 2013.

Hussain Ahmad, 76, died while his wife was seriously injured after being shot at as they emerged from the Kuan Yin Temple in Lorong Ceylon in Kuala Lumpur on July 29, 2013.

- Bernama