KUALA LUMPUR – A forensic consultant at a government hospital has concluded that the death of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) naval cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain was due to bacterial infection in the chest and major burn sequela.
Head of the Sungai Buloh Hospital’s forensic medicine department, Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan, 49, said this while testifying in the High Court here today during the defence proceeding by 18 UPNM students on charges of murdering, abetting and injuring Zulfarhan.
Questioned by lawyer Datuk Sri M. Ramachelvam, the 19th defence witness said Zulfarhan’s death was not caused fully by the burns, and that his prior infection was exacerbated with the loss of skin surface from the scalding.
She added that the major burn sequela proved that the deceased’s immune system was weak.
On July 31, last year, the High Court ordered 18 UPNM students to enter their defence on charges of murdering, conspiring to murder and injuring Zulfarhan.
Six of them; Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mod Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat and Mohamad Shobirin Sabri are facing charges of murder, while Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali was charged with abetting the murder.
The offence was allegedly committed in room 04-10, accommodation block, Jebat hostel, UPNM, between 4.45 am and 5.45 am on May 22, 2017.
The charges under Section 302 and Section 109 of the Penal Code provide for the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.
The six are also accused with 12 others of voluntarily causing hurt to Zulfarhan to extort a confession from him for a laptop theft.
They are Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif, Muhammad Adib Iman and Mohamad Syazwan.
They were charged under Section 330 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment and a fine.
The offence was allegedly committed at room 03-05, Jebat Hostel Block, UPNM, between 2.30am and 5.30am on May 21, 2017.
The trial before justice Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on January 12.– Bernama, December 29, 2020
