KOTA KINABALU: Two teachers from SMK Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha took the stand on Monday (Dec 8) as the first witnesses in the Children's Court trial of five teenagers accused of verbally abusing Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
The proceedings before Sessions Court judge Marlina Ibrahim are being conducted under a gag order, with access restricted to the parties directly involved.
According to the Court Registrar, one of the teachers is an academic teacher, while the other is the school's guidance and counselling teacher. Cross-examination of the second witness is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nor Azizah Mohamad leads the prosecution, assisted by DPPs Nik Haslinie Hashim, Husni Fairos Ramly and Deepa Nair Thevaharan.
Lawyer Datuk Ram Singh represented the first accused, while the other four were represented by lawyers Azhier Farhan Arisin, Abdul Fikry Jaafar, Fareez Salleh and Sylyester Kuan.
On Aug 20, five teenage girls were charged at the Children's Court here for using abusive words against Zara Qairina under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34. The offence carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, after being found unconscious in a drain near the school dormitory on the morning of July 16. - Bernama
