Ativa driver angrily lifted Zaharif onto roadside, says teenage witness

IPOH: A teenage boy testified in the High Court today that senior police officer DSP Mohd Nazri Abdul Razak lifted Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie onto the roadside following a collision.

The eleventh prosecution witness said he saw Mohd Nazri, who had exited a Perodua Ativa, appearing angry based on his actions and hand gestures.

However, the teenager said he could not hear what Mohd Nazri was saying as he was standing by the roadside near the junction of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jati during the incident.

"I only moved to the roadside where the victim was once the Ativa driver left the scene. I noticed the incident because of the loud sound of Zaharif's motorcycle. I watched and saw the car chase and hit Zaharif's motorcycle," the witness explained.

The teenager was reading his written statement before Judge Datuk Bhupindar Singh Gucharan Singh Preet during the trial of Mohd Nazri, who is accused of murdering Muhammad Zaharif Affendi, 17, on Jalan Taman Jati 1, near SMK Jati, between 11.45 am and 12.32 pm on Dec 15, 2023.

Mohd Nazri is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

Recounting the incident, the teenager explained that before the collision, he saw Muhammad Zaharif slow down his motorcycle as if preparing to turn right, near where he was standing on the roadside.

He said he did not observe whether the victim signaled, but saw the motorcycle near the white dividing line, still in its lane, with the handlebar already angled right.

"I saw the Ativa collide with the rear light of Zaharif's motorcycle at the middle of the car's bumper. Zaharif was thrown off the bike, and the motorcycle was dragged in front of the Ativa car," the teenager said.

He stated that the Ativa car then ran over the victim.

The witness said before the collision, there was no honking from the Ativa car nor any indication that the driver had applied the brakes.

He explained that the loud sound of Muhammad Zaharif's motorcycle caught his attention, allowing him to focus on the incident and witness the car chase and collision.

During questioning by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, the witness confirmed he could not identify the Ativa driver's face but affirmed that the driver was male.

The witness also revealed that he did not know the driver was a police officer at the time of the incident, but his friend later informed him of the driver's identity.

DPPs Afzainizam, Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, V. Suloshani, and Low Qin Hui appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers M. Athimulan, Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, and Aiman Hakim Kamaruzzaman.

The trial resumes tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA

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