The coroner’s court in Kota Kinabalu was told today that a group of senior students would meet and question students suspected of being involved in any theft case reported at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha’s Papar hostel.
Lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin, who is representing four children in the Zara Qairina bullying case, said the matter was narrated by a senior student who was the 11th child witness before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, Bernama reported.
Azhier said the witness told the inquest that her room was often used by these senior students because it was more spacious than other rooms at the hostel.
“According to the witness, throughout her acquaintance with the teenager, she found Zara to be a good person who liked to greet people as well as share food.
“The witness recalled that Zara was once called up by senior students because of a problem related to a friend. According to the witness, Zara liked to befriend a senior student,” Azhier told reporters after the 21st day of the inquest today.
The lawyer said the witness also said that she had met Zara two to three times in the teenager’s room and advised her not to do anything wrong.
Meanwhile, lawyer Rizwandean M Borhan, who is representing Zara’s mother, said the same witness also met other junior students to apologise on behalf of the senior students after they were called up by the group of students.
Recounting the incident on the night of July 15, Rizwandean said the witness stated that she had heard from other students that Zara was called up by a group of senior students on charges of theft around 10pm to 11pm.
She was also told that other junior students had searched Zara’s locker to find a missing item.
The witness also said that as she passed through the corridor in front of Zara’s room after 11pm, she heard a junior student uttering abusive words.
“The witness also said she had heard from other students that Zara was locked in the toilet that night,” Rizwandean said.
Lawyer Joan Goh, who represents one of the teenagers involved in the Zara bullying case, said the witness claimed Zara was not beaten.
Zara, 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 4am the previous day.
The inquest continues tomorrow.
