A 'Datuk' and two others were charged today with abetment in the murder of PKR activist Bill Kayong on June 21.

Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, 45, his aide Chin Wui Ching, 50, and pub owner Lie Chang Loon, 37 were charged with abetting club bouncer Mohamad Fitri Pauzi in the murder, Bernama reported.

Kayong, whose Muslim name is Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, was an aide to PKR's Miri MP Dr Michael Teo.

Lee was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 302 of the Code. He faces a mandatory death sentence, if convicted.

No plea was recorded from Lee, who nodded his head when the charge was read out to him in Mandarin, before Magistrate Zuraini Ali Musa, the newswire reported.

The case is set for mention on Dec 30.

Help from Interpol

Deputy public prosecutor Noor Fadzila Ishak said she is waiting instructions from the Attorney-General's Chambers on whether to move the case to the High Court, under Section 177 A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Mohamad Fitri, Lie and Chin pleaded not guilty to abetment to murder while the club bouncer also claimed trial for murder.

Their cases will be heard by the Miri High Court on Jan 3 next year.

Lee was reportedly on the run after the murder. According to Star Online, Interpol was roped in to locate him.

He was detained after arriving in China. He was deported and arrested by Malaysian authorities at KLIA before being brought to Miri to face charges.