‘CCTV Footage shows Isoof’s Rental Vehicle going up to Nausori Highlands’
Investigating team analysed CCTV footage showing the murder accused’s rental vehicle exiting Legalega and going up the Nausori Highlands on August 25, 2019.
This was revealed by Prosecutions’ 27th witness, Acting Superintendent of Police, Aiyaz Ali, in the trial of Muhammed Raheesh Isoof.
The trial is presided over by High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe.
The Charges:
Isoof (herein referred to as Kamal) denies having murdered Nirmal Kumar, 63, his wife Usha Devi, 54, their daughter Nileshni Kajal, 34, and Ms Kajal’s daughters Sanah Singh, 11, Samarah Singh, 8 at Nausori Highlands in August, 2019.
He also denies one count of attempted murder of Samaira Kumar who was found abandoned near the bodies of five deceased persons at Nausori Highlands.
Representations:
The State prosecutors are Semi Babitu, Taitusi Tuenuku, and Prenika Lata from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The defence counsel is Iqbal Khan from Iqbal Khan and Associates.
Trial Day 7: Prosecution witness 26: Simeli Ratu
Mr Ratu was a labourer at Isoof’s residence on August 25, 2019.
He testified in court that he reached Kamal’s house before 9 am and went to change before he started work.
He said just before 2pm, Kamal came home with some shopping.
At around 2pm to 3pm, Mr Ratu said Kamal had asked him to change his clothes because it was his child’s birthday.
He said while he was changing, he saw Kamal cleaning his vehicle. Kamal then changed his clothes and dropped Mr Ratu at his home in Sabeto Village junction together with another man at around 3.30 pm.
Mr Ratu recalled going to the Namaka Police Station but he did not know the reason until the Police officers informed him of what had happened in Legalega, Nadi.
He told the Officers that Kamal was his boss.
Cross-Examination:
Mr Khan questioned the witness while he was changing his clothes, did Kamal leave.
Mr Ratu said yes and that he was going to Mulomulo to pray.
Mr Khan put to the witness that Kamal did not tell him that, however, Mr Ratu said Kamal did inform him.
Mr Khan then questioned the witness why it was not written in his Police statement that Kamal had informed him about going for prayers at Mulomulo.
Mr Ratu told the court that he was confused.
Mr Khan asked the witness what he was confused about to which Mr Ratu told the court that he was confused about everything he heard about Kamal.
He said that he even heard a Police Officer accusing him of going with Kamal for the murder.
He said the Officer told him of what had happened and asked some questions by which he was confused.
Mr Khan questioned the witness whether the Police Officers recorded his statement to which Mr Ratu said no and that the officers were just asking him.
He said the officers at first had blamed him.
Mr Khan questioned the witness whether the Officers alleged if he did it, to which Mr Ratu said yes and that he was scared.
Re-Examination:
Mr Babitu questioned the witness whether on that particular day, did Kamal actually tell him that he was going to Mulomulo for prayers.
Mr Ratu replied yes.
Prosecution Witness 27: Acting Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aiyaz Ali
ASP Ali, who is the deputy director of organised crime at the Criminal Investigations Department, took the stand in the trial yesterday.
ASP Ali was leading a team of Police Officers to assist in the investigation of bodies discovered at the Nausori Highlands.
He said he arrived in Nadi on the evening of August 27, 2019, and was briefed of the situation and a suspect by the name of Muhammed Isoof being in custody.
ASP Ali said he instructed his team to conduct a search at the crime scene and the cliff where they found Indian prayer ritual items namely nutmeg, chandan, camphor, and incense sticks.
He said during the course of the investigation, he received information that the accused had some money at the Bank South Pacific.
He made enquiries at the Bank along with the bank statements of the deceased couple’s joint account and Nirmal’s $50,000 fixed deposit account.
He obtained CCTV footage that showed the deceased Nirmal made three phone calls.
He said he enquired with Vodafone and as per the call records, the phone calls were made to Isoof.
He further stated that he had received information that the accused was looking for a chemical named Lannate at Goundar’s Hardware.
When they went to the hardware store, they were informed that the CCTV footage was overwritten due to the storage issue.
ASP Ali said his team was responsible for obtaining all CCTV footage between Legalega and Nausori Highlands.
His team had analysed the footage obtained and it showed the accused with his rental vehicle going out of Legalega up to Nausori Highlands.
He further told the court that the CCTV footage was obtained from two residences in Legalega, a medical store, a shopping centre, and from Newworld Supermarket in Votualevu, Nadi.
The first residence CCTV footage was played in court which showed the vehicles of Nirmal and Isoof going past on August 25, 2019.
ASP Ali said at around 9am, the CCTV footage showed Nirmal’s vehicle going past in the direction from Legalega to the town.
As per the investigation, the vehicle was headed to Namaka in Nadi and later parked at the Newworld Supermarket car park.
He further added that at 9.10am, Isoof ’s vehicle was seen going into Legalega and at around 9.16am, the vehicle was going out of Legalega.
He said at 12.50pm, Isoof ’s vehicle was seen returning to Legalega again.
ASP Ali said in the second residential CCTV footage, Nirmal’s vehicle was shown going out of Legalega at 9am.
He said it also showed Isoof’s vehicle going past driving into Legalega at 9.10am.
He said the two residential properties were about a kilometre away from Nirmal’s house in Legalega.
The third CCTV footage played in court was of Newworld Supermarket’s car park which was provided by the branch manager.
ASP Ali said the supermarket was about one to two kilometres from Legalega.
He said the footage showed Nirmal and Isoof’s vehicles arriving in the carpark together at around 9.24am.
It showed Isoof and Nirmal loading some cartons in Nirmal’s vehicle.
He said he knew the deceased’s vehicle as it was blue in colour but had a white door and that was how they had managed to obtain the information during the investigation.
Due to the footage not being very clear, Justice Rajasinghe has ordered the state to assist the court with individual laptops and footage to be given for a visible view.
The trial will continue on Wednesday while Isoof has been further remanded in custody.