SHAH ALAM: Fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim (pix) had probably lost his memory when he was warded at the National Heart Institute (IJN), the coroner’s court heard today.
ASP Lew Keng Joe, a senior inspector at the Subang Jaya police contingent, said he was told this by Datuk Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib, the cadiothoracic specialist at IJN, when he visited Adib at 8.45am on Dec 12, last year.
He said Ezani told him of his suspicion when Adib refused to answer when asked if he was beaten or hit by a vehicle.
“I introduce myself to Adib in the presence of Ezani when he (Adib) was conscious ... but he could not speak because there was a tube in his mouth,” Lew said.
“He was constantly moving his body left and right, I am not sure if it was because he was in pain. Adib could not answer but he moved his hand left and right. He was being emotional and even tried pulling the hose but a nurse stopped him,” he added.
Ezani then told him that Adib could have lost his memory due to low blood pressure.
He also told the inquest that before he left the IJN intensive care unit, Ezani also informed him that he had asked the same question of Adib but the latter refused to answer.
Earlier, the head of forensics at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Datuk Dr Mohd Shah Mahmud, told the inquest that the wounds on Adib’s face, hands and abdomen were not consistent with that of a person who had been assaulted.
He said that someone who was assaulted would have injuries covering 60% to 70% of his body.
He added that the assessment of the fireman’s injuries were based on two previous studies on criminal cases involving death that were conducted simultaneously over a three-year and five-year period.
“The five-year study revealed that victims who were physically assaulted would suffer injuries to about 60% 70% of the head, chest and abdomen,” Mohd Shah said.
“The second study showed similar result, where an (bodily) assault will cause injuries to 67% of the facial area and chest. In Adib’s case, the injuries sustained were inconsistent,” he added.
In addition, he said, Adib suffered three injuries within a period of six seconds — scratches at the back of the waist, seven broken ribs on his back and the right side of his chest which was swollen.
He said that based on the videos presented to his team, the view was that the injuries were caused within a period of not more than six seconds.
“It is consistent with the short time frame based on the video that we saw a few days ago of the fire engine reversing and slamming into the EMRS vehicle,” he added.
