The Federal Court has commuted the death sentence of Ringgie Ampas, who was convicted of murdering his older brother with a shotgun in Kampung Sebintek, Sibu in 2017, to 35 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi, and Justices Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Azimah Omar, unanimously agreed that the sentence take effect from Ringgie’s arrest on May 21, 2017.
Court-appointed counsel Louis Jarau Patrick requested the commutation in line with the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 (Act 846), which allows imprisonment of 30 to 40 years along with caning as a substitute for the death penalty.
Ringgie, now 47, was originally found guilty under Section 302 of the Penal Code on Feb 27, 2019, and sentenced to death by High Court judge Datuk Lee Heng Cheong. He later appealed, but the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and death penalty on Oct 19, 2022.
According to court records, the fatal incident occurred between 11am and 11.30am on May 21, 2017. Ringgie shot his 44-year-old brother, Entili Ampas, from a distance of about 100 metres on the longhouse veranda following a dispute in which Ringgie attempted to stop Entili from hitting his daughter.
After retrieving a shotgun from a room, Ringgie fired the fatal shot, then fled on a motorcycle and disposed of the firearm in nearby woodland. Police arrived shortly after and found Entili dead at the scene, arresting Ringgie for investigation.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Amril Johari represented the prosecution during proceedings.
