KOTA KINABALU, Sept 17 (Bernama) – The Coroner's Court here was informed today that the late Zara Qairina Mahathir had sworn by “Wallahi” (a solemn oath to Allah), crying and screaming, repeatedly denying the theft allegation made against her.
Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, head warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, testified that the incident occurred after the deceased was summoned for questioning about a theft reported by a Form One student to the dormitory leader.
“Zara Qairina was asked by her dorm leader to swear by ‘Wallahi’ in response to the theft accusation. She did so and repeatedly denied the allegation when questioned,” he said.
Azhari told the court that he became aware of the incident through written statements provided by five students, including a Form Four student, obtained during a probe into the matter by the wardens.
“At the time, I was at the hospital. I had instructed several teachers and female wardens to carry out the investigation. Boarders sharing a room with Zara Qairina were gathered in an isolation room before the proceedings continued in the musollah (prayer room),” he testified.
"The findings from the investigation conducted in the female dormitory's isolation room and the musollah were subsequently relayed to me through the school's Discipline Unit via a WhatsApp group," he stated.
The eighth witness provided this testimony under questioning by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who was representing the deceased's mother on the eighth day of the inquest into Zara Qairina’s death.
The witness further testified that after Zara Qairina swore 'Wallahi', a group of Form One students proceeded to search her locker and bag, where they discovered a Malaysian flag pin belonging to their dormitory leader.
"It was at that point that the dormitory leader took Zara Qairina to the room next door and asked her again if she had stolen the item. She continued to deny the allegation, then left the room crying and shouting, 'I did not steal it, I'm telling you; this is stupid'," the witness recounted.
He added that the last time the other boarders saw Zara Qairina was in the toilet before she was later discovered unconscious near the hostel drain.
Regarding the decision to move Zara Qairina from the original location, where she was found unconscious, to an area near the warden's quarters, the witness stated that the victim was carefully carried and gently laid down on a cloth mat.
He explained that the main concern at that moment was the safety and well-being of the adolescent.
"The original intention was to transport the victim directly to the hospital. However, we stopped at that location as she was rather heavy, and the spot was deemed suitable as it was shielded from the view of other students," he testified.
The witness did not deny experiencing trauma from witnessing Zara Qairina's condition and confirmed that the school principal had arrived at the scene while they were waiting for the ambulance.
The inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will resume tomorrow.
Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.
On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.
“Zara Qairina was asked by her dorm leader to swear by ‘Wallahi’ in response to the theft accusation. She did so and repeatedly denied the allegation when questioned,” he said.
Azhari told the court that he became aware of the incident through written statements provided by five students, including a Form Four student, obtained during a probe into the matter by the wardens.
“At the time, I was at the hospital. I had instructed several teachers and female wardens to carry out the investigation. Boarders sharing a room with Zara Qairina were gathered in an isolation room before the proceedings continued in the musollah (prayer room),” he testified.
"The findings from the investigation conducted in the female dormitory's isolation room and the musollah were subsequently relayed to me through the school's Discipline Unit via a WhatsApp group," he stated.
The eighth witness provided this testimony under questioning by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who was representing the deceased's mother on the eighth day of the inquest into Zara Qairina’s death.
The witness further testified that after Zara Qairina swore 'Wallahi', a group of Form One students proceeded to search her locker and bag, where they discovered a Malaysian flag pin belonging to their dormitory leader.
"It was at that point that the dormitory leader took Zara Qairina to the room next door and asked her again if she had stolen the item. She continued to deny the allegation, then left the room crying and shouting, 'I did not steal it, I'm telling you; this is stupid'," the witness recounted.
He added that the last time the other boarders saw Zara Qairina was in the toilet before she was later discovered unconscious near the hostel drain.
Regarding the decision to move Zara Qairina from the original location, where she was found unconscious, to an area near the warden's quarters, the witness stated that the victim was carefully carried and gently laid down on a cloth mat.
He explained that the main concern at that moment was the safety and well-being of the adolescent.
"The original intention was to transport the victim directly to the hospital. However, we stopped at that location as she was rather heavy, and the spot was deemed suitable as it was shielded from the view of other students," he testified.
The witness did not deny experiencing trauma from witnessing Zara Qairina's condition and confirmed that the school principal had arrived at the scene while they were waiting for the ambulance.
The inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will resume tomorrow.
Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.
On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.