IPOH: A witness told the High Court here today that the driver of a Perodua Ativa lifted Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie, 17, in anger after he had hit and run over the student last December.
The 11th prosecution witness, a teenage boy, said that at the time of the incident, he was standing by the roadside about five meters from the collision site.
He explained that after the collision, the male driver got out of the car and lifted Zaharif to the side of the road near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jati.
"I saw the driver of the car appear to be angry from his actions and hand movements after the collision occurred. However, I could not hear what the driver was saying," he said while reading his written statement before Judge Datuk Bhupindar Singh Gucharan Singh Preet.
Earlier, the witness testified that before the collision, he saw Zaharif slow down his motorcycle as if he was about to turn right at the intersection of Jalan Taman Jati 1 - Jalan Pekeliling Meru Indah, near where the witness was standing on the roadside.
According to him, he did not notice Zaharif signalling with his indicator.
"I saw Zaharif's motorcycle close to the white line dividing the lanes, but not yet crossing into the opposite lane, while the handlebars of his motorcycle had already turned to the right," he said.
"I saw the car hit the rear light of Zaharif's motorcycle with the middle bumper of the car. Zaharif fell, and the motorcycle was dragged in front of the Ativa car. The Ativa then ran over Zaharif's body," the witness added.
During examination by deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, the witness clarified that he could not identify the driver's face but confirmed that the driver was male.
The witness also mentioned that at the time of the incident, he did not know that the man involved was a police officer, only learning about it the day after the incident when a friend informed him.
Afzainizam also asked the witness to describe Zaharif's condition before the collision occurred.
Afzainizam: "You said you saw Zaharif slow down his motorcycle as if he was going to turn right. What was Zaharif's condition as he slowed down the motorcycle?"
Witness: "I saw Zaharif was unable to control his motorcycle."
Afzainizam: "What do you mean by that?"
Witness: "I saw Zaharif's movements as if he was trying to turn right."
Afzainizam: "Did he fall while he was slowing down his motorcycle?"
Witness: "No."
Afzainizam: "How far was the Ativa from the motorcycle (when chasing), before the two vehicles collided?"
Witness: "Less than one meter."
Mohd Nazri Abdul Razak, 45, was charged with murdering Zaharif on Jalan Taman Jati 1, near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jati, between 11.45 am and 12.40 pm on Dec 15, 2023.
The senior police officer, a Deputy Superintendent, was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
The accused was represented by lawyers M. Athimulan, Datuk Meor Faridalathrash Wahid, and Aiman Hakim Kamaruzzaman, while the prosecution team is made up of deputy public prosecutors Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, V Suloshani and Low Qin Hui.
The trial, on its seventh day, has been temporarily adjourned and will resume this afternoon.