Cop: Fireman between vehicles in viral video not Adib

SHAH ALAM: A senior investigating officer said that Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was not the firefighter who was between a Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicle and the Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) Unit van during the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riots in Subang Jaya on Nov 27 last year.

This was confirmed by ASP Lew Keng Joe of the Subang Jaya district police headquarters who said the firefighter seen in the video, which went viral, was Adib’s colleague Mohd Hazim Mohd Rahimi, 31.

He said that Hazim confirmed this when he (Lew) recorded the firefighter’s statement.

“According to the recording of Hazim’s statement, he (Hazim) was between the (FRT) vehicle and (EMRS) van,” Lew said at the inquest to determine the cause of Adib’s death here yesterday.

He told this to deputy public prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin, who is conducting the inquest, after watching a new 22-second video clip shown in court.

The video showed the situation when the FRT vehicle and EMRS van arrived at the scene of the incident before reversing when attacked by a group of people.

Faten: There is an allegation that it (the firefighter at the back of the FRT) was Adib and that he was the one trapped. Is it true?

Lew: From the results of the investigation, that fact is not true ... because from the statement I recorded, the one between the FRT vehicle and EMRS van was Hazim.

Faten: Where was the victim at that time?

Lew: From the statement recorded, all the (affected) firefighters said that Adib was a member of the EMRS van and Adib did not wear any fire jacket and helmet and only had his fireman’s camouflage shirt on.

Seven videos on the incident were aired yesterday, including the one of Adib being carried to a vehicle.

Meanwhile, Lew said the re-enactment showing the cause of injury to Adib was made based on the post-mortem report.

He also said that he investigated the case under Section 307 of the Penal Code (for attempted murder) after getting instructions from the Selangor police headquarters and Bukit Aman.

“The state police headquarters and Bukit Aman explained that they would try to trace the suspect at the scene of the incident, which occurred in the early morning of Nov 27, 2018,” he said.

He said police reclassified the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder after Adib died on Dec 17.

Adib, 24, who was a member of the EMRS at the Subang Jaya Fire & Rescue Station, was seriously injured in the riots and died on Dec 17.

The proceedings before Coroner Rofiah Mohamad will continue on April 9, with two new expert witnesses taking the stand. — Bernama