ZARA QAIRINA: DPP AWAITS AG'S INSTRUCTION ON CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SHAFIE APDAL

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 7 (Bernama) - The Coroner's Court was informed that the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) is awaiting instructions from the Attorney-General on whether to initiate contempt proceedings against Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal over his public remarks regarding the ongoing inquest into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.

DPP Mohd Fairuz Johari, the conducting officer for the inquest, disclosed this when questioned by Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan about the status of the show-cause letter that was issued to the politician on Sept 22.

On Oct 2, Mohd Dusuki confirmed receiving Shafie’s written reply to the show-cause letter regarding the remarks he made on Sept 29.

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The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said it would not hesitate to take firm action under the law, including initiating contempt of court proceedings, once the review is completed.

The show-cause letter, dated Sept 22, concerned remarks allegedly made by Mohd Shafie at a public event (Jelajah Inspirasi DSSA P187 Kinabatangan) on Sept 20.

It stated that he had questioned the protracted duration of the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina. 

The inquest into the death of the teenager entered its 18th day today.

Earlier, the court heard the testimony of Nor Aidora Saedon, 52, senior director of the Centre for Quality Management and Research, Department of Chemistry Malaysia.

She testified that the bloodstains found on two pages of a diary containing Zara Qairina’s handwriting matched the DNA profile obtained from the teenager’s bone specimen.

So far, 17 witnesses, including eight children, have testified in the inquest, which began on Sept 3. The inquest proceedings will resume tomorrow with a child witness.

Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.

On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13. 

-- BERNAMA