Some ‘Circle 19' Members Transferred From School After Zara Qairina Incident - Witness

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- A child witness told the Coroner's Court here today that several students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, Papar who were members of the 'Circle-19' group transferred school after the incident involving Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin, who is representing four children charged in the Zara Qairina bullying case, said the witness who was also a member of 'Circle-19' and several of her friends in the group are still attending the school, but the witness had not lived in the hostel since September.

Sharing the testimony of the tenth child witness, Azhier Farhan said that according to the witness, she was a member of the group and the name 'Circle-19' meant that the group had 19 members and were all close friends.

Azhier Farhan said the witness stated that she and Zara Qairina were common acquaintances because they lived in the same hostel block but in adjacent rooms.

"The witness said she met Zara Qairina on the night of July 15 because the witness's roommate came to see her to inform her that a wallet containing money and an identity card was missing and the witness's roommate suspected Zara Qairina of taking the items," he said when sharing the witness's statement with reporters after the inquest proceeding entered its 20th day today.

Azhier Farhan said the witness also informed the court that Zara Qairina knew about the student's missing items after being asked, but denied taking the items and the witness also said she did not scold Zara Qairina.

Sharing further the witness's statement, Azhier Farhan said the witness also informed that when she wanted to order Zara Qairina to go back to her room, a friend entered her room and also asked the teenager whether she had taken her friend's items.

"According to the witness, he said 'just admit it if you took it, we won't be angry', but Zara Qairina did not admit it. The witness also said she saw Zara Qairina's reaction was normal and answered as usual," said Azhier Farhan.

The lawyer said the witness explained that she did not see Zara Qairina as being emotionally disturbed, besides the witness also did not notice whether the teenager cried after meeting her friends because she did not interfere in their affairs.

Meanwhile, lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represented Zara Qairina's mother when sharing the same witness's testimony, said the witness informed that she did not sleep in her own room but slept in another room with several of her friends that night.

Shahlan said according to the witness, sleeping in another room in the dormitory was not an offence as long as they asked permission from the room leader and told them where they were sleeping.

"The witness said she then moved out to another room to sleep around 10 pm. The witness said she did not leave the room between 12 midnight and 3 am.

"According to the witness, she was woken up by her friend and the witness was told about Zara Qairina lying below. The witness said she was shocked to see Zara Qairina's condition from the third-floor staircase," said Shahlan.

Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu on July 17 after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at 4 am on July 16.

The inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will continue on Oct 13.

-- BERNAMA