‘ADIB DIDN’T TELL COPS WHAT HAPPENED’
He did not say what happened to him when recording statement, says investigating officer
FIREFIGHTER Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim did not tell the police what happened to him on the night of the riot outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya on Nov 27 last year.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Lew Keng Joe, who is the case’s investigating officer, told the coroner’s court that he met Adib on Dec 12 to record his statement when the latter was warded at the National Heart Institute (IJN).
He said Adib was conscious at the time. Lew had permission
from IJN cardiothoracic surgeon senior consultant Datuk Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib to interview the firefighter.
“I introduced myself before asking him whether he remembered what happened on the night of the incident, whether he was assaulted or met with an accident with the Emergency Medical Response Services (EMRS) vehicle.
“Adib replied by shaking his body. He tried to pull out the hose attached to his mouth.
“The nurses asked him whether he needed a white board to answer my questions, but Adib shook his head. “Dr Ezani told me that he (Adib) could be suffering from amnesia due to low blood pressure,” he said when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Fatin Hadni Khairuddin.
Lew, who is the 28th witness in the inquest to determine the cause of Adib’s death, said Dr Ezani told him that Adib gave a similar response when he asked about the incident previously.
However, Lew said he was unaware that Adib had responded to questions posed by Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue station chief Syed Shahril Anuar Syed Sulaiman when the latter visited Adib at noon on the same day (Dec 12).
Fatin Hadni:
Lew: Yes. On Dec 24, Selangor Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmad called me about 7pm. The Fire Department had informed him that they had interviewed Adib. I recorded Syed Shahril Anuar and his colleague’s statements on the interview.
Fatin Hadni: Did they inform you about the purpose of the interview?
Lew: I was not informed earlier but they told me it was done for their internal investigation.
Syed Shahril, who was the inquest’s 18th witness, had previously told the court that Adib confided that he was assaulted by a mob during the incident.
Lew, meanwhile, said the police were aware of IJN assistant surgical officer Muhammad Ashraff Baruji’s claims that Adib hadpreviously told him he was beaten up, during a meeting with Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.
“During the meeting, the Fire and Rescue Department director told the quorum that police did not interview Ashraff for his statement.
“I was shocked as we were not told about it. I called him and recorded his statement at the Subang Jaya police district headquarters on the same day (Dec 26) about 5pm,” he said.
He said police made 12 arrests in connection to the case. All the suspects were released on police bail and magistrate’s court bond.
“Based on our investigation, all the suspects were present near the temple on the night of the incident, but they were not involved in the attack.
“Six were involved in damaging the One City building nearby, but we detained them to assist in investigations into Adib’s case.
“Only two suspects were near the location, one of whom was also a witness in the inquest,” he said.
Lew said 61 witnesses, including 21 members of the public, had their statements recorded.
“However, no one witnessed what happened to Adib. One witness said he saw what looked like an assault, but did not see any victim.”
He said the police’s forensic team also had dusted multiple fingerprints on the Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) and EMRS vehicles, but were unable to identify anyone as the prints were in poor condition.
Adib, 24, died from injuries sustained after he was allegedly assaulted by rioters outside the temple. He was part of an emergency response team despatched to the scene to battle a vehicle fire. He died at IJN on Dec 17.
The hearing will continue tomorrow before coroner Rofiah Mohamad.