The Malaysian Insight

MEMBERS of the media and other visitors were allowed to enter the house of deceased Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan barely a few hours after he was engulfed in flames last June, the Shah Alam High Court heard today.

Nepali national Raju Kumar Pandit, who worked as a security guard at Mutiara Homes in Petaling Jaya, told the court he allowed some visitors to enter the gated and guarded housing area on that day (June 14). 

“I know that on that day, some people came in one car to leave flowers for Nazrin’s family because I let them in to the housing area,” he said testifying during Nazrin’s murder trial today.

Lead defence lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who was conducting cross-examination on the witness, asked him if the accused, Samirah Muzaffar, had questioned him on why these well-wishers were allowed in. 

Shafee: You know that the deceased was a diehard fan of Arsenal football club. Arsenal fans from the fan club came to the house to send wreaths.

There were jerseys also laid in front of the house. 

Raju: Yes, I remember this. They came through the guardhouse and asked for permission to enter, I registered them there and they entered. 

Shafee: Did Samirah then ask you why you let them in and who they are? 

Raju: Yes, she did. But I calmed her down and gave her the details of these people who had come. I had their licence plate number and registration details. 

Shafee also showed the witness three pictures from a Chinese-language daily article dated June 15 2018, a day after the incident. 

“They published this on June 15. This is the very next day (after the fire), it was published, that means reporters went up to take pictures and the body was still there,” Shafee told the witness. 

“Do you know how reporters and cameraman were allowed in?”

The guard said he did not know how they were allowed in at that time. 

Earlier, Shafee was frustrated with the witness who was communicating in his mother tongue through a court interpreter. 

Shafee asked him whether he was aware of a circular by the Mutiara Homes management to owners and residents to be aware of break-ins in the area which was attached to the guards’ logbook. 

Raju, however, didn’t understand the question and said he didn’t know about the circular. 

A visibly frustrated Shafee then walked over to him after a few minutes and showed him the circular. 

The witness then said he didn’t know who attached the circular in the logbook as he’s not aware of all its contents. 

High court judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman also reprimanded the witness and asked him to confirm the notice instead of giving lengthy explanations. 

On March 12, Samirah, a former senior executive at Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and two teenagers aged 17 and 14, were jointly charged with an Indonesian, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, with murdering Nazrin, 47.

The three claimed trial to committing the offence at a house at Mutiara Homes near Shah Alam, between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018 and 4am on June 14, 2018.

On March 27, the teens were released on RM50,000 bail each, with eight conditions.

Among others, they are not allowed to stay with family members who are witnesses in the case; they must be at home from 6pm until 6am daily; and they are barred from leaving the country, with their passports impounded by the court. 

On May 28, the Federal Court allowed Samirah to be released on RM500,000 bail in two sureties pending trial. – September 20, 2019.