Tawau murder case: Traces of blood found inside and outside car, says witness

TAWAU: The High Court here has been told that there were traces of blood found both inside and outside a white car found in an oil palm plantation last year.

Detective Sergeant Lasim Jumadi, 52, who was assigned to take photographs of the vehicle on Jan 16, 2023, said that the blood traces were found between the car’s rear left and front doors.

However, Lasim, who is the Tawau police headquaters Criminal Investigation Department forensic photographer, said he did not search for blood traces in the vicinity of the car.

The 12th prosecution witness said this when questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh on the fifth day of the trial of six policemen and a civilian, charged with killing ehailing driver Nurman Bakaratu, early last year, along with former Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) head of intelligence staff Mat Zaki Md Zain who is accused of abetment.

When asked if the witness observed multiple red lines on the driver’s seat, Lasim responded: “Yes, there were… and they appeared to be more or less like blood,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lasim, in his testimony said that he was informed by investigating officer Insp Aslinah Asikin at 12.45pm on Jan 16, 2023, that a body had been found in an oil palm plantation on Jalan Anjur Juara, Batu 5 Apas here.

According to Lasim, the investigating officer also directed him to prepare the required equipment to take to the crime scene.

“I then brought a digital camera with an 8GB SDHC memory card provided by the police and the camera was functioning properly,” he said.

Lasim said that at around 12.55pm the same day, he and Aslinah left the police headquarters for the crime scene.

“When we arrived at the scene, Insp Aslinah and I went to the white car. Shortly after that, ASP Yusman Shari Marinsah arrived.

“He told me that he was the investigating officer handling a murder case. He directed me to take photographs of the crime scene and I took 11 pictures,” said the witness.

According to Lasim, when the forensic team examined the vehicle at the Tawau police headquarters on Jan 17 and 25, 2023, he took an additional 39 pictures of the white car on the instruction of Insp Saizul Farhan Mahali.

“I transferred all the image files to my personal computer. The computer is accessible only by me and no one else,” he said.

Policemen Rosdi Rastam, 45; Denis Anit, 45; Fabian Rungam, 44; Khairul Azman Bakar, 47; Mohd Azlan Sakaran, 40; John Kennedy Sanggah, 44; and a civilian Vivien Fabian, 34, were charged with the murder of Nurman at a palm oil plantation near Jalan Anjur Juara, Jalan Apas Baru 5 here.

They were accused of committing the act between 7.30pm and 11.30pm on Jan 13, 2023, and were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34 of the same code, which provides for the death penalty if convicted.

Mat Zaki, 59, is facing two charges of conspiring to kill Nurman according to Section 109 of the Penal Code read with Section 302 of the same Code.

The trial before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol continues later on Monday (Jan 22). – BK