Cradle Fund CEO killed in ‘staged crime’, says DPP

 

Forensic evidence by the fire and safety department shows that Nazrin Hasan’s mobile phone did not explode, says the prosecution. (Bernama pic)

SHAH ALAM: The death of Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan is a staged crime as revealed by a forensic pathologist who conducted the second post-mortem, the High Court was told today.

Deputy public prosecutor Tengku Intan Suraya Tengku Ismail said Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar testified that there was evidence Nazrin’s body was shifted and an irregular pattern was found at the back of the corpse.

She said the 50th prosecution witness had also testified that there was a dry bloodline on the left shoulder of the deceased.

“The evidence is consonant with (that of) bomb expert Saad Md Nasir from the police,” she said in her submission at the close of the prosecution’s case.

Tengku Intan said Saad had also given evidence that Nazrin’s BlackBerry S2 mobile phone did not explode as claimed by the defence.

Further, she said, Saad’s testimony was corroborated with that of fire and rescue service department officers Abdul Halim Zulkifli and Edwin Galan Anak Teruki.

Halim and Edwin had testified that they found three fires of origin at the crime scene, she said.

She said Rosdiyana Sudarto from the same department, who conducted an X-ray examination on the mobile phone, also revealed that the device had not exploded.

Tenku Intan, who prosecuted the trial together with DPPs Sanawi Abu Hanipah and Nur Sabrina Zubairi, said Energy Commission officer Abdul Rahim Wan Chik had stated that the electrical system in the house was in good condition and functioning well.

“There could not be any short circuit nor any issue of an overcharged mobile phone,” she said.

She said the conduct of the three accused persons and their Indonesian maid, Eka Wahyu Lestari, revealed knowledge of the crime based on the “last seen together” theory.

She said Nazrin’s wife, Samirah Muzaffar, one of the accused, had sent back Eka to Indonesia, about one-and-a-half months after the incident.

“The prosecution has established a prima facie case and the accused must enter defence to answer the charge,” she said.

Samirah and two teenagers, along with Eka, who is at large, are accused of murdering Nazrin at their home in Mutiara Damansara on June 14, 2018.

The two teenagers cannot be named as they were minors at the time of the incident.

Defence counsel Shafee Abdullah, said Prashant’s evidence could not be relied upon because his testimony on additional opinion contradicted the first post-mortem carried out by forensic pathologist Dr Siew Sheue Feng.

“He admitted that he formed the opinion a few days before he testified and after a meeting with the prosecution,” Shafee said.

He said a lot of key findings by Siew could not be corroborated by Prashant because of the decomposition of the body when the second post-mortem was carried out.

Shafee, who was assisted by Rahmat Hazlan, said the prosecution claimed it was a staged crime but did not offer cogent evidence why that was so.

“The investigating officer also did not testify on this matter,” he said.

He said the life of the three accused should not be dependent on Prasanth who had “bent backwards” to help the prosecution.

According to Shafee, the accused were present in the house but the prosecution could not rely on circumstantial evidence and the “last seen together” theory to implicate them.

He also said the police stated that they could not locate the maid but it was revealed that she was found working in a coffee shop in Sarawak.

“The prosecution has failed to prove their case and the accused should be acquitted without their defence called,” he said.

Judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman will deliver his ruling on May 30.

A total of 57 witnesses testified in the trial which started on Sept 6, 2019. - FMT