KAJANG: The public has been urged to respect the process of the law in the investigation of Sabah schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the investigation paper (IP) has been completed and referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
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“It is better that we respect the process of the law.
“If anything is lacking with the IP, the AGC will return it and instruct the police to take further action. That is normal,” he told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) i-DEEN programme on Tuesday (Aug 5).
He had been asked to comment on the case, including whether or not proper standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed during the investigation.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said earlier that the IP had been referred to the AGC.
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It was reported that Zara Qairina’s mother lodged a second police report over her daughter’s death almost three weeks after the 13-year-old was found dead at her school hostel in Papar, Sabah.
Noraidah Lamat lodged a report asking for further investigation of the bruises she saw on her daughter’s back when the body was bathed at the Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17.
Zara Qairina was a Form One student who died from an apparent fall from her school hostel on July 16.
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In a joint statement, Noraidah’s lawyers, Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, said their client saw the bruises because she helped bathe Zara’s body.
“Our client only recalled the bruises when we questioned her yesterday afternoon about the condition of her daughter’s body,” they said.
They added that Noraidah did not mention the bruises earlier as she was grieving for her child.
The lawyers said Noraidah believes that the bruises were caused by blows from a blunt object.
