SHAH ALAM: Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun should be subpoenaed to testify at the inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.
Senior investigating officer Lew Keng Joe who testified at the inquest yesterday (Wednesday) made the suggestion as he was unsure why Fuzi alleged that Adib was assaulted during the Seafield Maha Mariamman Temple riot.
Lew said maybe the police chief met with the firefighters involved.
He also said Fuzi’s comment was vital but was not of much help with investigations.
Lew was answering Adib’s family lawyer Ahmad Taufiq Baharum who asked him why the IGP had made such a statement and that the statement was made before Adib succumbed to his injuries.
“Do you want me to record the his (Fuzi’s) statement? Maybe you should subpoena the IGP and ask him,“ said Lew.
Earlier, Lew testified that Adib did not leave the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) van on the night of the temple fracas.
He said that the fireman captured in a video that was produced in court was Mohd Hazim Mohd Rahimi, the sixth witness in the inquest.
“Hazim confirmed this when we took his statement. Allegations by various parties that the firefighter (in the video) was Muhammad Adib is not true,” Lew told conducting officer Faten Hadni Khairuddin in front of coroner Rofiah Mohamad.
A newly produced 22-second video was played in court yesterday. The video shows the fire engine and the EMRS van arriving at the scene before retreating after being attacked by a mob.
Lew also said the police are still searching for suspects who attacked the fire engine during the fracas with the help of police intelligence services.
“We are still investigating the matter. There are images of them attacking the fire engine, but the image quality is bad so it’s hard for us to identify them.”
Adib was part of a nine-man fire-fighting team that responded to an emergency call at the temple where rioters were protesting against its relocation on Nov 27.
He sustained severe injuries and was hospitalised for three weeks before succumbing to his injuries on Dec 17.
