Ask relevent questions, witness tells officer at Adib inquest

INQUEST | A witness at the inquest into firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death has told the inquest’s conducting officer to ask questions that are more relevant to the events at the riot of Nov 27 last year.

The retired forensic pathology professor Dr Shahrom Abd Wahid told coroner Rofiah Mohamad today that the conducting officer Hamdan Hamzah’s line of questioning is not relevant.

This is because the questions were focused on the mechanism behind the rib fractures that Adib suffered.

“I just wish to comment. The questions asked are not relevant as it merely explains the mechanism of fracture (that Adib suffered).

“This (CT scan of Adib’s injuries made by the National Heart Institute, IJN) is merely a post mortem (made after Adib’s death). We want to explain the events that transpired that night.

“It would be better (if Hamdan had referred to) the Subang Jaya Medical Centre’s (SJMC) CT scans as this would be closer in proximity to what happened that night.

“Instead, this one (IJN’s CT scans) exhibits (medical) interference,” he said on the 24th day of the inquest at the Coroner’s Court in Shah Alam today.

Shahrom, 61, was appearing as the inquest’s 29th witness.

SJMC's scans referred

He was referring to medical interference Adib experienced when medical practitioners transferred the firefighter from SJMC where he was first warded, to the IJN for further treatment.

The witness made the comment after several hours of questioning by Hamdan, where the latter focused his questions on the mechanics of how Adib sustained his injuries.

Hamdan’s question that prompted Shahrom’s comment was on how Adib incurred the fractures on four of his front right ribs and two at the back of his right back, with reference to how it matches the door jamb and edge of the front left passenger door of an emergency medical rescue service (EMRS) van.

Adib, 24, was sitting in the front left passenger seat of the EMRS van when as it was arriving at the scene of the riots, which saw an angry crowd advancing on both the van and a fire rescue tender (FRT) that was in front of it.

During yesterday’s inquest proceedings, Shahrom testified that his own reconstruction of how Adib sustained his injuries showed that the firefighter was pulled out of the EMRS’s front left passenger seat as at least one other person kicked at the door, causing the victim to sustain fractured ribs on his left back and four front right ribs, among others.

Following the witness’ comment, Hamdan then referred Shahrom to several CT scans of Adib’s injuries that were provided by SJMC, and the continued his questioning.

Conducting officer Hamdan Hamzah.

No need to visit riot scene

Earlier today, Shahrom admitted that he did not go to the scene of the riots to examine the area, and relied fully on the initial findings and re-enactments made by the Subang Jaya fire department and the chemistry department, among others.

He was replying to a question from Hamdan on whether it was important for an expert to have paid a visit to the scene of an event such as a riot, in order to help the person prepare a report on how Adib have gotten injured during the incident.

“I made the decision not to go to the scene of the incident because all the (relevant) information have been provided to me in the form of documentation and the reconstruction (of events) by (government) agencies.

“For example, when I examine the (possibility of Adib sustaining) injury from the (road) curb, the pictures (from the CT scan and photographs of the firefighter’s injuries) are already there,” Shahrom.

He said that his own reconstructions of the event were made on March 23, 25, 30, and April 6.

“All reconstructions I conducted at the Subang Jaya fire department, except for the (motorcycle) helmet (theory where a helmet may have been used to hit one of the fire trucks at the scene and tested during reconstruction) at the Rawang police station,” he said.

He added that he also relied on videos recorded by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera at the scene of the riot and by a smartphone used by one of the witnesses who happened to be at the scene.

The inquest before coroner Rofiah continues tomorrow. - Mkini