SHAH ALAM, July 6 — A police officer told the High Court here today that he found 22 bullet holes, including one at the rear window of the car driven by Aminulrasyid Amzah, a teenage boy shot dead by police nearly five years ago.
ASP Mazli Jusoh, 37, said the bullet holes were discovered when he was investigating at the scene of the incident while he was attached to the Forensic Unit of the Selangor police headquarters.
“I also found bullet holes in the fuel tank and car tyres punctured when carrying out the investigation at the scene of the incident.” He said this when questioned by lawyer N. Surendran, who is representing Aminulrasyid’s family, at the hearing of a civil suit filed by the teenager’s family against Corporal Jenain Subi and four others.
Aminulrasyid’s mother, Norsiah Mohammad, 66, and eldest sister, Nor Azura, 45, as plaintiffs named Jenain, former Selangor police chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (now IGP), Shah Alam police chief, the inspector-general of police and the Malaysian government as defendants.
The civil suit was filed to claim damages of almost RM50 million for Aminulrasyid’s death allegedly due to gunshot wounds to the head caused by Jenain’s negligence.
In November 2013, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge Jenain of a charge of causing Aminulrasyid’s death when he pursued the latter in a car chase in Jalan Tarian 11/2, Section 11, here, between 1.10am and 2am on April 26, 2010.
In acquitting Jenain in 2012, the High Court ruled that Jenain did not intend to cause the death of Aminulrasyid, but shot at the car driven by the 15-year-old with a view to stop the vehicle.
Cross-examined by lawyer Zulkifly Omar, who is representing Jenain, Mazli who is now studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia and would be reporting to the Bukit Aman Training Division, agreed with the lawyer that the 21 bullet holes were found at the lower part of the car.
The police officer, who is the plaintiffs’ first witness, also agreed with Zulkifly that he was not aware how many bullets were fired by the weapon which was in Jenain’s possession on that day.
“I suggest that the other bullet which hit the rear window of the car driven by Aminulrasyid came from another weapon,” said Zulkifly and Mazli agreed.
Questioned by senior federal counsel, Normastura Ayub representing the four other defendants, the plantiffs’ second witness, Kosmo executive journalist Norhayati Yahaya said she wrote a news story on the incident based on a statement given by Khalid at a press conference.
The journalists also agreed with Normastura’s suggestion that what was informed at the press conference was a preliminary statement.
“I suggest that the statement on the teenager (Aminulrasyid) believed to be a robber was never made by Khalid,” Normastura said to Norhayati who replied, “don’t remember”.
On re-examination by Surendran, Norhayati, 35, said she could not recall whether Khalid had in his statement said that the car driven by Aminulrasyid had reversed and tried to hit a policeman.
“I do not remember but I am sure he (Khalid issued the statement),” she said.
The witness was also convinced that Khalid had issued a statement that the police opened fire in self-defence while not remembering whether the former Selangor police chief had said so.
“Can you confirm if you or your media organisation received any protest or request from the Selangor police chief to amend the news that you had written,” asked Surendran.
“So far, none so ever,” said Norhayati.
The hearing before judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim continues on Wednesday. — Bernama
