Sosilawati case witness grilled on note-taking methods
Published: Nov 16, 2011 8:14 PM | Updated: Nov 16, 2011 8:16 PM
A medical officer informed the High Court in Shah Alam today that she did not make any notes during the police search of Ladang Gadong, a farm in Banting, the alleged murder scene of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.
A medical officer informed the High Court in Shah Alam today that she did not make any notes during the police search of Ladang Gadong, a farm in Banting, the alleged murder scene of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.
A medical officer informed the High Court in Shah Alam today that she did not make any notes during the police search of Ladang Gadong, a farm in Banting, the alleged murder scene of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.
However, Dr Nurul Kharmila Abdullah, 34, said she made notes when instructed by Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) forensics consultant Dr Nurliza Abdullah (63rd prosecution witness) to carry out a radiology investigation on the specimens on Sept 15 and 16 last year.
“I was instructed to make notes on Sept 15 and 16, but on Sept 14, Dr Nurliza informed the medical team we didn’t have to do so because we were only helping the police and they would make their own notes,” she said during examination-in-chief by DPP Saiful Edris Zainuddin.
The witness, attached to the KLH Forensics Department said on Sept 14 last year she was instructed by Dr Nurliza to accompany her on the police search at the farm.
“At the farm I was tasked with supervising the area marked zone B and to help verify if objects found were human bone fragments or not,” she told the court.
The 75th prosecution witness was testifying on the 51st day of the trial of former lawyer N Pathmanabhan and three farm workers T Thilaiyalagan, R Matan and R Khatavarayan who are charged with the murders of Sosilawati, 47, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32 and Sosilawati’s driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.
Pathmanabhan, 42; Thilaiyalagan, 20; Matan, 21; and Kathavarayan, 31 who allegedly committed the offences at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang, Tanjung Sepat in Banting between 8.30 pm and 9.45 pm on Aug 30 last year, face the mandatory death sentence upon conviction under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Manjeet Singh Dhillon, lawyer for Pathmanabhan, then proceeded to cross-examine the witness on her note-taking methods.
Waving two sheets of A4 papers at her, Manjeet asked: “Is this how they taught you to take notes in school, to use a sheet of paper?”
‘I prepared the notes while arranging for x-ray’
Dr Kharmila: “No. I prepared the notes while arranging the specimens for x-ray and then handed it to Dr Nurliza to transfer it into her notebook.”
Dr Kharmila admitted she wrote ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ in the radiology application form on Sept 15 2010 and ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ in another form on Sept 16.
Manjeet: “Did you write the word ‘probable’?”
Dr Kharmila: “I didn’t write it.”
Manjeet: “Why not? Why did you write ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ and ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ when in fact Dr Nurliza had told you the specimens were probably human bone fragments?”
To which Dr Kharmila responded, “Maybe I overlooked it at the time.”
Re-examined by Saiful Edris to clarify the matter, the witness said she only thought of writing ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ on that day as the specimens had yet to be examined properly.
“On Sept 16, 2010, there were a few specimens which had been verified so I wrote ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ on the form,” she added.
The trial resumes before Judge Akhtar Tahir tomorrow.
- Bernama
However, Dr Nurul Kharmila Abdullah, 34, said she made notes when instructed by Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) forensics consultant Dr Nurliza Abdullah (63rd prosecution witness) to carry out a radiology investigation on the specimens on Sept 15 and 16 last year.
“I was instructed to make notes on Sept 15 and 16, but on Sept 14, Dr Nurliza informed the medical team we didn’t have to do so because we were only helping the police and they would make their own notes,” she said during examination-in-chief by DPP Saiful Edris Zainuddin.
The witness, attached to the KLH Forensics Department said on Sept 14 last year she was instructed by Dr Nurliza to accompany her on the police search at the farm.
“At the farm I was tasked with supervising the area marked zone B and to help verify if objects found were human bone fragments or not,” she told the court.
The 75th prosecution witness was testifying on the 51st day of the trial of former lawyer N Pathmanabhan and three farm workers T Thilaiyalagan, R Matan and R Khatavarayan who are charged with the murders of Sosilawati, 47, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32 and Sosilawati’s driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.
Pathmanabhan, 42; Thilaiyalagan, 20; Matan, 21; and Kathavarayan, 31 who allegedly committed the offences at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang, Tanjung Sepat in Banting between 8.30 pm and 9.45 pm on Aug 30 last year, face the mandatory death sentence upon conviction under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Manjeet Singh Dhillon, lawyer for Pathmanabhan, then proceeded to cross-examine the witness on her note-taking methods.
Waving two sheets of A4 papers at her, Manjeet asked: “Is this how they taught you to take notes in school, to use a sheet of paper?”
‘I prepared the notes while arranging for x-ray’
Dr Kharmila: “No. I prepared the notes while arranging the specimens for x-ray and then handed it to Dr Nurliza to transfer it into her notebook.”
Dr Kharmila admitted she wrote ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ in the radiology application form on Sept 15 2010 and ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ in another form on Sept 16.
Manjeet: “Did you write the word ‘probable’?”
Dr Kharmila: “I didn’t write it.”
Manjeet: “Why not? Why did you write ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ and ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ when in fact Dr Nurliza had told you the specimens were probably human bone fragments?”
To which Dr Kharmila responded, “Maybe I overlooked it at the time.”
Re-examined by Saiful Edris to clarify the matter, the witness said she only thought of writing ‘fragments of bone unknown identity’ on that day as the specimens had yet to be examined properly.
“On Sept 16, 2010, there were a few specimens which had been verified so I wrote ‘multiple pieces of human remains’ on the form,” she added.
The trial resumes before Judge Akhtar Tahir tomorrow.
- Bernama
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