A three-member bench chaired by Judge Lee Swee Seng ordered Etiqah Siti Noorashikeen Mohd Sulang to post RM30,000 in one surety as a condition for her release pending the outcome of the trial.

Lee, who sat with Supang Lian and M Gunalan, also ordered Etiqah, an engineer with Petronas, to surrender her passport to the magistrates’ court in Kota Kinabalu as well as report to the Penampang district police headquarters at noon every Monday.

Etiqah, 34, represented by Rakhbir Singh, had failed to get bail from the High Court last month, leading her to file a fresh application in the Court of Appeal.

The bail application was heard via an online proceeding.

Rakhbir told FMT he presented evidence to the judges that his client needed psychiatric care as she was suffering from depression and anxiety attacks.

“She has twins, aged two, and her elderly parents are unable to take care of them,” he said.

The application was made under Section 388 of the Criminal Procedure Code which says bail can be granted to an accused facing the death penalty on the grounds that he or she is below 16 years of age, is a woman, or is sick or infirm.

Deputy public prosecutor Dusuki Mokhtar appeared for the prosecution.

Rakhbir said Etiqah’s husband, Ambree Yunos, 41, would remain as a remand prisoner as he did not apply for bail.

The couple was charged with the murder of Nur Afiyah Daeng Damin, 28, at their condominium unit at Jalan Lintas Lido in Kota Kinabalu between Dec 10 and Dec 13 last year.

The couple was arrested on Dec 14, a day after they lodged a police report alleging that they had discovered their domestic worker on the floor of their bathroom after returning from a holiday in Kundasang, Ranau.