IPOH: A traffic investigation officer informed the High Court here on Tuesday (Dec 10) that she deleted two video recordings related to a fatal collision involving a Form Five student who died at the scene.
Insp Jong Pit Chao, 37, testified that she did not retain the two video recordings as she was no longer the investigating officer for the case.
She stated that the videos had been handed over to the new investigating officer, ASP Chua Sze Chuan, from the Criminal Investigation Division at the Ipoh District Police Headquarters (IPD).
The 29th prosecution witness, who was serving at the Ipoh IPD Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division at the time, said the videos were obtained from a female driver of a Mitsubishi Triton parked at the scene of the collision.
She was being cross-examined by lawyer Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, representing Mohd Nazri Abdul Razak, 45, a senior police officer with the rank of DSP, charged with murdering 17-year-old Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie.
Mohd Nazri is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
The incident allegedly occurred on Jalan Taman Jati 1 near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jati between 11.45am and 12.32pm on Dec 15, 2023.
Mior: "Are you aware that this is evidence for the court?"
Jong: "Yes, I am aware. I was not the investigating officer, and I forwarded the materials to ASP Chua, who was handling the investigation at the time."
The witness also explained that when an investigation paper is opened, there must be a case classification to initiate it.
In this case, based on the initial information report, the investigation paper was opened under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
However, she noted that the scope of the investigation also considered the possibility of elements under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Jong described the collision as extraordinary due to the occurrence of a chase and the absence of the vehicles involved at the scene.
"I received information that there was a collision between a car and a motorcycle near SMK Taman Jati.
When I arrived at the scene, I found the incident to be extraordinary. By 'extraordinary,' I mean base on my experience as a traffic investigation officer, the car and motorcycle involved in the incident were not present at the scene," she said.
The trial before Judge Datuk Bhupindar Singh Gucharan Singh Preet resumes on Wednesday (Dec 11).
