Witness: Cradle Fund CEO's Blackberry phone did not explode

SHAH ALAM: The 20th prosecution witness in the murder trial of Cradle Fund chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan told the High Court today that the victim's Blackberry smartphone did not explode, based on its physical condition.

Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Fire Safety Director Edwin Galan Teruki said the matter was confirmed based on their investigations at the scene.

"Checks on the phone showed that it did not explode. If the phone had exploded, it would have shattered into pieces or bent.

"The condition of the room (crime scene) also did not look as if there had been an explosion. If there was (an explosion from the smartphone), the wall structure in the room most probably could have been damaged," he said before Judge Datuk Ab Karim Ab Rahman.

The witness was responding to a question by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah on the physical condition of the smartphone.

Prior to this, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department fire investigations officer, Abdul Halim Zulkefeli, who was the 15th prosecution witness confirmed that he had never come across a fire caused by an explosion from a Blackberry phone.

At the proceedings, Galan also told the court that he saw white sparks from a photograph taken at the scene.

"The sparks are not from the wall paint but (comes from) a source with high heat. We found that the sparks were the result of high heat caused by burning petrol, not a mobile phone," he said.

On Aug 3, 2018, police classified Nazrin's death as murder based on the fire department's report on autopsy results.

On March 12, Nazrin's wife Samirah Muzaffar, 44, a former senior executive at the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia and two teenagers, aged 17 and 14, were charged, along with Indonesian citizen, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, with Nazrin's murder.

They were alleged to have committed the offence at a house in Mutiara Homes, Mutiara Damansara, between 11.30 pm on June 13, 2018, and 4 am on June 14, 2018.

Hearing continues on June 5. – Bernama

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