Police asked Adib what happened, but could not get answers

INQUEST | Police investigators managed to ask firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim what happened to him but they could not get the answers, an assistant superintendent told a Coroner's Court in Shah Alam today.

Lew Keng Joe (photo, above), who is a senior investigating officer attached to Subang Jaya police's Criminal Investigation Department, said he and another officer went to visit Adib at the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Dec 12 last year.

There, he told Coroner Rofiah Mohamad, Adib was seen being awake and sitting on a chair in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) while several nurses were seen standing nearby.

Lew: I saw that the victim was conscious but could not speak because there was a tube inside his mouth. After that, I asked Dr Ezani (consultant surgeon Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib) if I could ask a question to Adib, and he allowed me to.

In front of Dr Ezani, I introduced myself (to Adib) as the investigating officer, and there I saw him moving his body left and right, probably because he was in pain. But he could not talk.

Conducting officer Faten Hadni Khairuddin: Did you ask any question to Adib?

Lew: Yes, I did. After introducing myself, I asked him if he was assaulted or if he was hit by a vehicle. I could only see him having the emotional look, and his left hand tried to pull out the hose in his mouth but was stopped by a nurse on his left.

After that, Dr Ezani told me that Adib might have lost his memory because of the incident due to low blood pressure. That was the only thing I got when I met Adib on Dec 12.

The police officer then told the court that a nurse had then asked Adib if he wants to write on a whiteboard, but the victim shook his head.

Lew said the doctor had also informed him that he (Ezani) had tried asking the same question to Adib before that, but could not get any answers. 

Family says no visitor on Adib's last day

The court also heard that Lew first went to meet Adib at the IJN at about 4.30pm on Nov 28, but the victim was unconscious.

His third time to see Adib was at 2pm on Dec 17 together with Subang Jaya CID chief Shangopal. However, they were told by a security guard that the victim's family had informed the hospital not to allow any visitors.

"So my superior and I stayed outside the ICU, before we returned (to the office). The security guard also informed us that Adib was unconscious. That was all," he said when answering.

Lew told the court that later in the evening he received a call from Shangopal saying that Adib had died, before he went to the hospital once again.

He said Adib's remains were later taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), where a post-mortem was conducted by pathologist Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi.

Also present were National Forensics Medicine director Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood, Subang Jaya police chief Azlin Sadari, Shangopal, and HKL deputy director identified as "Datuk Azman". 

Faten: Did you follow the body to HKL?

Lew: Yes, I did.

Faten: Did you identify the body as Adib's?

Lew: Yes, I did inside the post-mortem room.

Faten: Who was the pathologist that performed the post-mortem?"

Lew: The pathologist who performed the post-mortem was Dr Hafizam. Dr Mohd Shah was also there.

Faten: Did you witness the post-mortem until the end?

Lew: Yes. Also present were the Subang Jaya police chief, Subang Jaya CID chief, and HKL deputy director named Datuk Azman. I was informed by Dr Shah that he (Azman) is HKL deputy director.

The post-mortem finished at 5am, and Dr Hafizam informed me that the cause of death was injuries to the lung that are severe enough to cause death. That was what I was informed after the post-mortem.

Clinical forensics showed Adib not assaulted

The court later heard from Lew that prior to Adib's death, forensics experts had also conducted clinical forensics examination on Adib to ascertain causes of his injuries.

Lew said the examination was conducted by Dr Mohd Shah on Nov 30 on police's request, as the investigating officer suspected that Adib's injuries might not be the result of assaults.

This, he told the court, was based on photographs of Adib's injuries taken when the victim was first warded at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

"After the examination was conducted, I received a report prepared by Dr Mohd Shah, (which) found that there were no injuries caused by assault or defensive wound.

"Besides that, photographs taken by my (police) photographer and pathologist showed that Adib did not have any injuries to his face and body except on the right side.

"After the post-mortem, I was also informed by Dr Hafizam that these injuries were inconsistent with assault patterns," he said.

The hearing will resume at 10am on Monday, with other witnesses expected to be called to confirm on three video clips that had been tendered as evidence in the inquest. - Mkini