KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — The High Court here hearing the murder case of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain was told that 30 UPNM students had been arrested to assist in the investigation.
Sepang District Police Headquarters senior investigating officer ASP Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz, who is the 29th prosecution witness in the case said the 30 who were arrested included six accused charged with killing Zulfahan Osman, as well as 13 others charged with injuring the victim and several of them testified as prosecution witnesses.
“I agree,” said Wan Azirul to a suggestion from defence counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad during cross-examination, that all the 30 students were initially investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Amer Hamzah is representing the first accused, Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal and second accused, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi in the murder case.
Wan Azirul Nizam also agreed with Amer Hamzah’s suggestion that of the 30 students, some had been charged in court while some were called as prosecution witnesses.
To the lawyer’s suggestion that there were some students who were arrested but not prosecuted nor called as prosecution witnesses, Wan Azirul Nizam said: “I agree.”
Responding to Amer Hamzah’s question on who determined which person would be prosecuted and which would appear as a prosecution witness in court, Wan Azirul Nizam said it was him who had made the recommendations.
“I made the recommendations after referring to the Kuala Lumpur Public Prosecutor’s Office,” he said.
At the proceedings, a wheelchair, steam iron and Taekwondo belt believed to have been used in the case were also brought to be identified by Wan Azirul.
Six UPNM students, namely Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi, Muhammad Azamuddin, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali pleaded not guilty to murdering and abetting the murder of Zulfarhan Osman at room number 04-10 of the Jebat Hostel in UPNM between 4.45am and 5.45am on May 22, 2017.
The charges against all of them were made under sections 302 and 109 of the Penal Code, which carry the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The six along with 13 other accused were also charged with voluntarily causing hurt to extort a confession from the victim, read together with Section 34 of the same sentence which carries maximum imprisonment of seven years and a fine upon conviction.
The case is being conducted by Kuala Lumpur Prosecution Director Othman Abdullah and DPP N. Joy Jothi.
The trial before Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues tomorrow. — Bernama
