Key witness in inquest into Adib's death changes statement to police
A key witness in the concluded inquest into firefighter Adib Mohd Kassim's death has changed his statement when questioned by police again, according to Bukit Aman.
Crime Investigation Department (CID) director Huzir Mohamed told reporters during a press conference today, where Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador was updating the press about the progress in their investigation into Adib's death...
A key witness in the concluded inquest into firefighter Adib Mohd Kassim's death has changed his statement when questioned by police again, according to Bukit Aman.
Crime Investigation Department (CID) director Huzir Mohamed told reporters during a press conference today, where Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador was updating the press about the progress in their investigation into Adib's death.
"That man. This witness, he had changed his statement," Huzir said, referring to contractor N Suresh, who told the Shah Alam Coroner's Court in Feb last year that he witnessed the Nov 27, 2019 Seafield incident during the temple riot in Subang Jaya.
In his testimony, Suresh claimed that he saw a firefighter on the ground, leaning against a car bumper surrounded by over two dozen people.
Suresh had testified that he heard some people in the crowd shouting in Tamil "Don't hit!" and "They even beat firefighters", before seeing Adib being whisked away shoeless and shirtless.
Also at today's press conference, Abdul Hamid said they have recalled all 30 witnesses who testified in the inquest and interviewed 52 new witnesses.
However, the top cop said there was not a single witness who could tell the police that they saw Adib being beaten up during the riot.
This prompted reporters to enquire more as Suresh had testified otherwise in court.
Huzir, however, did not elaborate more on what the witness had told police during the re-investigation into the death.
Asked if this means that the witness had lied to the Coroner's Court and thus committed an offence, the police officer said they would refer the matter to the deputy public prosecutor's office.
"We will forward his statement to the DPP. If it is contradictory (to his testimony in court), let the DPP decide (on the next course of action)," he said.
On Sept 27 last year, coroner Rofiah Mohamad in delivering her ruling attributed Adib's death to a criminal act perpetrated by two or three unidentified assailants.
The court had also accepted former UKM Hospital head of forensics Dr Shahrom Abdul Wahid's theory that the firefighter sustained fatal injuries when he was crushed between a Fire and Rescue Department vehicle's door and the chassis.
Rofiah also said that based on testimonies and evidence presented by witnesses, including Suresh, the court had established that some 20 to 30 people had assaulted the victim.
Following the ruling of the Coroner's Court, which proceedings were aimed at establishing the cause of Adib's death, among others, police had reopened its investigation into the incident as a murder probe.
Meanwhile, the IGP also urged those who have witnessed the incident that caused serious injuries on Adib to come forward and facilitate their investigation.
According to him, the absence of credible witness who could tell what really happened to Adib has left police with contradicting findings by two pathologists.
"Thus, the police plan to set up a team to review the findings of these two pathologists. We will propose to the Home Ministry to do this," he said.
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