KOTA KINABALU, Sept 11 — A security guard at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar told the Coroner’s Court here today that Zara Qairina Mahathir had been accused of stealing money the night before she was found unconscious.
Linah Mansoding @Jaliha said she had heard from students that Zara Qairina was believed to have taken RM300 and a bank card from a peer.
“On the night before the incident, one of the students realised her money was missing, some RM300 and her bank card were stolen. At that point, she didn’t name who she thought had taken her money.
“I also heard Ustaz Rizani asked to see Zara Qairina’s dormitory head. Later on, I heard that Zara Qairina was the one accused of stealing the money,” she said.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri asked how Ustaz Rizani had learned about the stolen money.
Linah replied: “The student complained to one of the seniors. She said Zara Qairina had taken her money.”
The Coroner’s Court heard these accounts as reports of allegations and reactions, and not as confirmation that the theft actually occurred.
Thirteen-year-old Zara Qairina was discovered unconscious on the ground floor of her dormitory at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar in the early hours of July 16.
Medical experts later confirmed that she died from traumatic brain injury consistent with a fall from height.
MORE TO COME
