KUALA LUMPUR: Israeli Avitan Shalom, who is facing two charges of possession of bullets and trafficking in firearms, will go to trial in January next year.
Sessions Court judge Norina Zainol Abidin today set a 12-day trial commencing Jan 6 to 9; 13 to 16 and 20 to 23.
This was after lead deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam requested the court to set trial dates spanning at least two weeks.
"We have 30 witnesses," he said.
Defence lawyer Sreekant Pillai agreed to the said dates.
Previously, the same court set a nine-day to start today and in October.
However, it was vacated as Mustaffa will be involved in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd trial.
Shalom, 38, from Bnei-Brak, Israel claimed trial to two amended charges framed under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 and the Arms Act 1960.
In the two amended charge sheets, the prosecution had made amendments to the possession of bullets from 158 to 200; as well as the type, name and serial number of three of six firearms.
The first amended charge read that he had possessed without permit 158 bullets in four boxes and 42 bullets in three firearm magazines of Glock 17 Gen4 Austria 9X19, M&P 9C Smith & Wesson Springfield MA USA and Stoeger Cougar 800F.
The second amended charge read he had trafficked six firearms without permit namely Glock 19 USA 9x19 (Serial number: AEGS286); Sig Sauer P3205P (Serial number: 58C283463); Cougar 8000FT (Serial number T6429-10G002496); Glock 17 Gen4 Austria 9x19 (Serial number: BDZZ090); M&P 9C Smith & Wesson Springfield MA USA (Serial number: DSW9077) dan Stoeger Cougar 8000F (Serial number:T6429-08-A029304).
The offences were committed between 6.46pm on March 26 and 6pm on March 28 in a room of a hotel in Jalan Ampang.
The charge under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act carries imprisonment less than seven years; fine not more than RM10,000 or both.
The charge under Section 7(1) of Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 provides a jail term not less than 30 years but not exceeding 40 years with not less than six strokes of the rotan.
On April 12, Shalom pleaded not guilty to two charges of possessing 158 bullets and trafficking six firearms in the hotel room.
He had been detained on March 27 at the hotel. He was found with six handguns.
Investigations found Shalom entered the country on March 12 via a flight from the United Arab Emirates using a French passport.
He was believed to have come to Malaysia to kill the head of a rival criminal family.
Subsequently, police arrested a husband and wife, aged 42 and 40, at a Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Selangor on March 29, who were suspected of selling the firearms to Shalom.