Tawau murder case: There were traces of blood inside and outside Myvi car, says witness

TAWAU, Jan 22 — The High Court here today was told that there were traces of blood both inside and outside a white Perodua Myvi car found in an oil palm plantation last year.

Detective Sergeant Lasim Jumadi, 52, who was assigned to take photographs of the vehicle on January 16, 2023, said that the blood traces were found between the rear left door and the front door of the car.

However, Lasim, Tawau Police Headquaters Criminal Investigation Department forensic photographer, said he did not make an effort to search for blood traces in the vicinity of the car.

The 12th prosecution witness said this when questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh on the fifth day of the trial of six policemen and a civilian, charged with killing e-hailing driver Nurman Bakaratu, early last year, along with former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) head of intelligence staff Mat Zaki Md Zain who is accused of abetting.

When asked if the witness observed multiple red lines on the Myvi driver’s seat, Lasim responded, “Yes, there were... and they appeared to be more or less like blood,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lasim, in his testimony said that at 12.45 noon on January 16 last year, he was informed by the investigating officer, Insp Aslinah Asikin, that a body had been found in an oil palm plantation on Jalan Anjur Juara, Batu 5 Apas, here.

According to Lasim, the investigating officer also directed him to prepare the required equipment to bring to the crime scene.

“I then brought a Canon EOS 60D digital camera with a Toshiba 8GB SDHC memory card provided by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and the camera was functioning properly,” he said.

Lasim said that on the same date, at around 12.55 noon, he and Aslinah, left the Tawau District Police Headquarters for the crime scene (oil palm plantation).

“When we arrived at the scene, Insp Aslinah and I went to the location where a white Perodua Myvi was situated. Shortly after that, ASP Yusman Shari Marinsah arrived.”

“ASP Yusman Shari informed me that he was the investigating officer handling a murder case. He directed me to capture photographs at the crime scene, and I took 11 pictures using the digital camera,”said the witness.

According to Lasim, on the instructions of Insp Saizul Farhan Mahali, he took an additional 39 pictures involving the same Myvi car. This occurred when the forensic team conducted examinations on the vehicle within the premises of the Tawau District Police Headquarters on January 17 and 25, 2023, respectively.

“I transferred all the image files I recorded to my personal computer. The computer is accessible only to me, and no one else has access,” he said.

Policemen Rosdi Rastam, 45, Denis Anit, 45, Fabian Rungam, 44, Khairul Azman Bakar, 47, Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 40, and John Kennedy Sanggah, 44, and a civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, are charged with the murder of Nurman at a palm oil plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Baru 5 here.

They were accused of committing the act between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on January 13 last year and were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the same code, which provides for the death penalty if convicted.

Mat Zaki, 59, is facing two charges of conspiring to kill Nurman according to Section 109 of the Penal Code read with Section 302 of the same code.

The trial before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol continues later today. — Bernama