Mum cries on hearing of dead son’s torture

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was tense yesterday when a prosecution witness recounted how Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who was allegedly murdered, was tortured by more than 10 students last year.

Zulfarhan’s mother, Hawa Osman, who sat at the public gallery during proceedings, could not hold back her tears when Ahmad Senabil Mohamad testified as the 24th prosecution witness.

Senabil, 22, told the court that he had lodged a report two weeks ago when one of the accused, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi’s father, a police officer in Ipoh, Perak, approached him and told him to give false statement at the trial.

The human resource undergraduate said he was at the room when Zulfarhan was beaten and burnt with a steam iron by other cadets due to a dispute over a laptop.

“About 12 midnight on May 22 last year, Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali ‘investigated’ Zulfarhan about a missing laptop before punching him several times as he was not satisfied with the answer.

“Hakeem told Zulfarhan to take off his pants before beating him with other students — Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Najib, Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Adib Iman Fuad Adi Sany, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha — and several others.

“The group beat him with a hanger, rubber shoe and wood until 3.30am before they left the scene, except myself, Syafiq, Abdoul Hakeem, Azamuddin, Najib, Afif and Akmal.

“Suddenly, Akmal, who had a steam iron, placed it on Zulfarhan’s feet and body,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Othman Abdullah.

He said Zulfarhan, with his arm and feet tied, had screamed tolong (help) and panas (hot) when the iron was placed on his body by Akmal, Shobirin, Azamuddin, Najib, and Afif with Hakeem interrogating Zulfarhan.

“He was abused until 6am before he was tied to a table and the group continued torturing and beating him.”

He said he and Syafiq did not participate in the beating.

Senabil said he could not do anything to help Zulfarhan as he was afraid the group would beat him.

He added that he did not report the incident to the university as he was afraid Zulfarhan and the rest would be expelled.

Zulfarhan, a third-year student, died due to injuries on June 1 last year.

The trial before judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on Aug 16.