SHAH ALAM: A policeman yesterday denied that he had lied while giving testimony in the case of Aminulrasyid Amzah, the teenager who was shot dead while fleeing from police here on April 26.
Constable Mohd Izham Mahayadin, 27, also disagreed with a suggestion by counsel Salim Bashir, who is representing Cpl Jenain Subi, the accused in the case, that he had self-interest in the matter because he had also fired shots on that fateful day.
The witness, who is attached to the Shah Alam police headquarters’ patrol unit, also disagreed with Salim’s suggestion that he too could be charged in connection with the case.
“I do not agree because I do not have any personal interest in this case,” he said in the Sessions Court here.
Jenain, 48, is charged with causing the death of Aminulrasyid, 15, at Jalan Tarian 11/2, Seksyen 11 here between 1.10am and 2am on April 26.
He has been charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code which provides for jail up to 30 years and fine, if convicetd.
Aminulrasyid died of a gunshot wound in the head.
Prior to yesterday, evidence had been adduced that both Mohd Izham and Jenain had fired shots at the car the boy was driving that night.
Mohd Izham, the prosecution’s 28th witness, told the court that on the night in question, he had called for back up because Aminulrasyid in his bid to escape, had driven very aggresively.
“Anyone in his path would have gotten out of the way. In my thoughts, it was probably someone trying to escape after committing a robbery or break-in and it is within our rights to stop a car if an offence had been committed,” he said.
He also agreed to a suggestion by counsel M Athimulan, another of Jenain’s counsel, that in that situation, the Iswara (car driven by the teenager) posed a dangerous hazard to other road users.
Asked why he had shot at the tyres of the Iswara when at the Kayangan roundabout here, Mohd Izham said it was aimed at slowing down the car.
Athimulan then pointed out to him that his testimony that the rear right tyre became punctured because of the shots fired by him did not match photographs taken by forensics personnel, which showed the tyre did not puncture.
Re-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar on this, Mohd Izham said: “In the picture, the tyre does not look deflated and this could be because there is no weight on the rear tyres as they were not on the ground due to the car being in a slanted position.
“After the car crashed, I had checked the tyre and there was no pressurised air in it,” he added.
To another question from Salim, he denied having shot at the fleeing car all the way from the Kayangan roundabout till Jalan Tarian 11/2.
He also agreed with Athimulam’s suggestion that the shots fired by him and Jenain were not aimed at killing the occupants but to stop the car for checking.
Mohd Dusuki unhappy with the line of questioning objected saying it was not fair for the witness to be speaking on behalf of the accused.
Judge Latifah Mohd Tahar upheld the objection saying witness testimony should refer to patrol unit operations in general and not be specific to any individual.
The hearing congtinues on Dec 14. — Bernama