SHAH ALAM: The inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim will begin in February and continue right up to April.
Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Rofiah Mohamad, who sat as coroner, set Feb 11 to Feb 28, March 1, 4, 5 and March 19 to 29 as well as April 1 to 12 for the inquest to be heard.
DPP Hamdan Hamzah informed the Coroner's Court during case management of the inquest on Friday (Jan 18) that a total of 30 witnesses will be called up to testify.
Out of the 30, six will be doctors who had treated him as well as the pathologist who had conducted the post-mortem.
In addition to the three-member team from the Attorney General’s Chambers, others in the inquest are lawyers representing Muhammad Adib's family, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Fire and Rescue Department, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), the Bar Council and the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Task Force.
Apart from the team of DPPs, all other lawyers had to justify to the coroner why they were interested parties in the case.
Rofiah also fixed Jan 31 to give her decision whether the Bar Council and Temple Task Force lawyers will represent the two entities or merely hold a watching brief during the inquest.
Lawyers representing the parties can question the witnesses whilst those holding watching briefs cannot.
Rofiah also asked for the six doctors as well as the case's investigating officer to submit their witness statements before the inquest starts.
“The statements are needed so that we will have a general understanding from the beginning,” she said.
Muhammad Adib was seriously injured during a riot at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Nov 27.
He succumbed to his injuries on Dec 17.
Attorney General Tommy Thomas had ordered the inquest in accordance to Section 339 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code in his capacity as prosecutor.
Hamdan also told the inquest that the videos pertaining to the riots, which had gone viral on social media, will also be played during the inquest.
