Bella case: thermos flask incident never happened, witness tells court

KUALA LUMPUR – Claims that a thermos flask filled with hot water had fallen on Bella, a teenage girl with Down syndrome, are untrue, a police investigating officer told the sessions court here today.

Suhaili Mahad, 31, from the Criminal Investigation Department at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters said this was because the thermos flask was in good condition.

“Investigations found that there are no dents or anything that indicates it had fallen,” she said during an examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zilfinaz Abbas in the trial of Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali. 

The 19th prosecution witness said three residents of Rumah Bonda known as Yasmin, Balqis, and Aida as well as Siti Bainun herself seemed to give the same script regarding the incident.

“They told the same story where Balqis had chased Bella over some snacks and that Bella bumped into the thermos and it fell on her, thus injuring her body.

“However, when I asked a doctor who treated Bella in the emergency department, they were a mix of old and new injuries. So, I believe that the thermos incident did not happen,” said the witness. 

Suhaili’s testimony was objected to by lawyer Mohammad Farhan Maaruf, who represented Siti Bainun, saying that the witness was not an expert to give findings regarding the condition of the thermos.

Farhan: Suhaili is not an expert to determine the damage to the thermos.

Zilfinaz: It doesn’t need an expert to determine any damage on the thermos. We can see the condition, if it fell, it will have dents.

However, judge Izralizam Sanusi rejected Farhan’s objection. 

Previously, Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, 19, told the court that the burn marks suffered by Bella were due to hot water from a thermos flask and not from a water dispenser. 

Siti Bainun, 30, is facing two charges of neglect and abuse of the teenage girl, causing the victim to suffer physical injuries and emotional trauma between February and June 2021 at a condominium in Wangsa Maju here.

The trial resumes tomorrow. – Bernama, October 18, 2022