Inquest into Adib's death put off again to April 16

INQUEST | Today’s proceedings at the Shah Alam Coroner’s Court on the inquest into firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death has been put off to April 16.

Coroner Rofiah Mohamad allowed the application by inquest conducting officer Faten Hadni Khairuddin because the 29th witness, retired Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) forensic pathology professor Dr Shahrom Abd Wahid, was unable to make it for today’s 26th day of proceedings.

Yesterday, the inquest was postponed to today in order to allow forensic experts and lawyers to re-inspect the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) van that Adib was in during the Seafield Temple riots on Nov 27 last year.

Among the experts who attended yesterday’s inspection of the EMRS van at the premises of the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Department was Shahrom.

Previously, on Feb 12, the inquest team, as well as Rofiah, had inspected the Fire Department vehicles caught in the riots. However, the coroner did not attend yesterday’s visit.

Faten: (Shahrom) is not able to be present for today’s inquest as he is unavailable.

(We are) still at the questioning stage (of Shahrom) by (inquest conducting officer) Hamdan (Hamzah).

We are ready to call back HKL (Hospital Kuala Lumpur) pathology (experts) Dr (Ahmad) Hafizam (Hasmi) and Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood, but we would need to wrap up (questions) with Shahrom first.

Rofiah: Subpoena (for Shahrom to attend the inquest proceedings) was only until yesterday, right?

Faten: Yes

Rofiah: (The inquest proceedings) will be postponed and) resume on April 16 and 17 at 2.30pm, and April 19 and 22 for the entire day.

The coroner also allowed an application by the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s lawyer Syazlin Mansor for the subpoena to be issued for Shahrom to attend the proceedings on the dates mentioned for the inquest to continue.

In previous proceedings, HKL Forensic Department head Mohd Shah and its medical forensic specialist Ahmad Hafizam testified that Adib’s injuries, among others, do not support the allegation that the 24-year-old firefighter was pulled out of the EMRS van on the night of the riots.

The two forensic experts, who had participated in the autopsy of Adib, said the nature and pattern of the deceased’s rib fractures and external injuries, among others, instead support the notion that the firefighter was standing outside the EMRS van when he was hit by the vehicle’s front right passenger door as it reversed to avoid an angry mob at the scene of the Subang riots.

However, in the two most recent inquest proceedings (on April 9 and 10), Shahrom, who was subpoenaed by Syazlin to appear at the inquest, testified that Adib could not have sustained his injuries merely by being hit by the EMRS van’s door.

He said the firefighter sustained his injuries when he was pulled out of the van by one person, while at least another person simultaneously kicked the door, causing the fractures on Adib’s left rear ribs and front right ribs, among others.

Shahrom, who had once helmed UKM Hospital's Forensic Unit, said he arrived at his conclusion through his own reconstruction of events of the night of the riots by looking at the CT scans of Adib's injuries, as well as a Fire Department video re-enactment of the possible scenarios that could have led to the firefighter's death.

It is understood that inquest conducting officers are calling back Mohd Shah and Ahmad Hafizam to rebut Shahrom’s testimony. - Mkini