Lawyer withdraws, says this voids 'Adib assaulted' expert's appointment
INQUEST | The lawyer representing the Housing and Local Government Ministry as well as the Fire and Rescue Department has withdrawn from the inquest to determine firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim's cause of death.
Announcing this at the Coroner's Court in Shah Alam this morning, Syazlin Mansor said this would also prevent expert witness Prof Dr Shahrom Abdul from testifying further...
INQUEST | The lawyer representing the Housing and Local Government Ministry as well as the Fire and Rescue Department has withdrawn from the inquest to determine firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim's cause of death.
Announcing this at the Coroner's Court in Shah Alam this morning, Syazlin Mansor said this would also prevent expert witness Prof Dr Shahrom Abdul from testifying further.
"With my withdrawal (from this inquest), I believe the appointment of Dr Shahrom as an expert witness is also void," she added.
However, Syazlin did not state the reasons for her decision.
Shahrom was the inquest's 29th witness, whose testimony disputed two other expert witnesses' theory that Adib had died due to injuries sustained from falling from the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) vehicle.
The former head of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia forensics unit believed that Adib sustained his injuries when he was pulled out of the vehicle and attacked.
Read more: Lawyer quit Adib inquest due to 'new turn of events'
After Syazlin (below) made the announcement, the lawyer appointed by Adib's family, Ahmad Taufiq Baharum, told the court that they have no other witnesses to call.
Following this, Coroner Rofiah Mohamad ordered for a brief adjournment of the hearing to deliberate on the development.
Minister, AG to discuss new appointment
When the hearing commenced an hour later, Syazlin told the court that the ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department would remain interested parties in the inquest.
The lawyer said she believed that a new counsel would be appointed by the ministry after consulting Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.
Rofiah: Syazlin, you have informed the court that you are withdrawing from this case. There is no problem, but because you are the only counsel (representing the parties), does this mean that the ministry and the department are also withdrawing as interested parties?
Syazlin: I was informed that the ministry and the department will remain as interested parties in this case.
Rofiah: Would there be another appointment (of a lawyer)?
Syazlin: I believe the attorney-general and Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin will discuss the appointment.
Rofiah then ruled that the court would convene again on June 26, to allow the parties to resolve the matter of new counsel.
The coroner added that since the ministry and the department are still interested parties, the court cannot make its decision without the parties' representatives.
To a suggestion by inquest handling officer Faten Hadni Khairuddin that Shahrom (photo) can still be recalled if the court needs his assistance, Rofiah said she would deliver her decision when the inquest reconvenes.
She also noted that she would decide on whether the court would require the testimony of a physics expert on that date.
'No comment, ask minister'
When met outside the courtroom later, Syazlin declined to comment on the reasons behind her withdrawal, only stating that reporters can direct their questions to Zuraida.
"No comment. But if you have any further questions, you can ask YB (Zuraida)," she said.
Shahrom gave a similar answer when approached by reporters on Syazlin's withdrawal.
"You should ask Syazlin, because she is my lawyer, who appointed me (as an expert witness). So you have to ask her.
"When the lawyer withdrew from this case, my appointment is voided automatically," he added.
The inquest, which began on Feb 11, was initially scheduled to wrap up by April 11.
The proceedings were extended due to conflicting testimonies by Shahrom and two other forensics experts, namely Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi of Kuala Lumpur Hospital and National Forensic Medicine Institute director Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood.
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