KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court postponed its inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir after confidential information about a child witness was leaked online.
In expressing disappointment over the leak, Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan said this was a setback to the case and has disrupted the integrity of the inquest process.
He instructed this child’s lawyer Datuk Ram Singh to lodge a police report so that legal action can be taken if there were violations committed.
The ongoing inquest which entered its 10th day on Friday (Sept 19), was postponed at around noon until Monday (Sept 22).
The court was supposed to hear its first testimony from a minor this evening.
Ram revealed his client’s details including parts of witness statements which required signatures and names of the five child offenders, especially focusing on his client, had gone viral before it was presented in the Coroner's Court.
He said that this, to him, constituted intimidation.
His client is one of the five students charged at the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Court on Aug 20 under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Code, for making threatening, abusive or insulting words against Zara Qairina.
Ram’s client was believed to have been a close friend of Zara’s prior to a fallout between them, not too long before Zara was found unconscious near a drain below her school hostel building on July 16.
Earlier, Amir said following the information leak and irresponsible actions of certain parties, the witnesses now feel intimidated.
Prior to that, Ram claimed that his client was in tears when asked if she could testify Friday.
The proceedings involving this child witness will be held in camera on Monday, with child witnesses placed in the witness room.
For in-camera proceedings under the Child Witness Act, the witness will be in the witness room, assisted by one interpreter and a "pendamping (attendant)" of their choice, under condition that this attendant must not be a potential witness.
The seating arrangement would see the child sitting in front of a camera with the attendant behind but visible on camera.
Media and other non-relevant parties are not allowed to sit in but officers from the Education Ministry and the Sabah Law Society are allowed to be present during these proceedings.
