The Coroner’s Court was today told that there was no conspiracy between Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) and the police to conceal the real cause of taxi driver Baharudin Ahmad’s death during an illegal rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

Investigating officer Sgt Major Razali Mahmud, 50, also told the court that he did not agree with the suggestion by counsel Patrick Dass, who is representing Baharudin’s family, that he had been instructed to have the deceased's heart switched with that of another deceased while the autopsy was being carried out on the night of the day that Baharudin died.

“The only remains in the autopsy room were Baharudin’s, and I was there throughout the process,” said the 25th witness at the inquest into Baharudin’s death.

According to Razali, the other persons in the room were KHL pathologist Dr Khairul Anuar Zainun who was assisted by Dr Ferwan Fairis Ab Karim, a medical assistant and a police photographer.

When asked by Patrick as to why Baharudin’s daughter Dr Ummi Mirza was not allowed to go into the room, Razali said he was not aware of the matter.

The witness also denied that his investigations were biased and favoured the police, and maintained that each investigation he carried out was based on facts.

Meanwhile, he said the camera angle of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Avenue K building on the day of the incident was slightly diverted because it had been touched by the premises’ workers.  

He, however, agreed with Patrick that the workers could have re-adjusted the CCTV’s focus angle.

The inquest heard before Coroner Zulkpli Abdullah continues on May 2.

- Bernama