WIDOW OBJECTED TO NOMINEE
Samirah signed the objection letter on June 28, 2018 at the EPF branch in KL, says witness
THE widow of slain Cradle Fund chief executive officer (CEO) Nazrin Hassan had protested against the nomination for the deceased’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, the High Court was told.
EPF accounts officer Noor Hafizah Osman, 36, said she received an objection against the nomination on June 28, 2018 from the widow, Samirah Muzaffar, who is also the first accused in Nazrin’s murder case.
“Based on EPF’s record, Eza Shafina Dzulkarnain was recorded as the nominee of EPF member Nazrin Hassan’s credit contributions. The nomination was made on Jan 13, 2011.
“We received an objection from Samirah on June 28, 2018 at the EPF branch in Kuala Lumpur. She signed the objection letter on the same day,” she said.
She was testifying in the trial of Samirah, 48, two teenage boys and Indonesian Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, for the murder of Nazrin who was found dead during a fire at his home three years ago.
The 45th prosecution witness from the EPF Withdrawal Operations Management Department said in the application (for the objection), Samirah had requested for Nazrin’s EPF account to be frozen pending the process of obtaining a faraid certificate from the syariah court.
On July 6, 2018 the witness said the department issued a letter suggesting Samirah file a legal action at the High Court if she wanted to object to the payment of Nazrin’s credit contributions to Eza Shafina.
“However, EPF had not received any originating summons or an injunction order from Samirah until we were informed that Nazrin’s death was being investigated as a murder,” Noor Hafizah said.
Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Samirah’s counsel L.S. Leonard, the witness said objections against nominations were not unusual.
“Objections like this are common,” Noor Hafizah added.
Deputy public prosecutors Asnawi Abu Hanipah, Tengku Intan Suraya Tengku Ismail, Ashyraf Ashy’ari and Siti Rohaida Che Hamid conducted the prosecution while counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Rahmat Hazlan also represented the accused.
The trial continues on Monday before judge Datuk Ab Karim Ab Rahman.
On March 12, 2019, Samirah, who is a former senior executive at the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, and the two teenagers were charged, along with Indonesian citizen, Eka Wahyu, who is still at large, with Nazrin’s murder.
They allegedly committed the offence at a house in Mutiara Homes, Mutiara Damansara, between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018, and 4am on June 14, 2018.
The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, carries a mandatory death sentence, if found guilty.