KUALA Lumpur Hospital (HKL) forensic expert Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi who was allowed to testify again in the inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim said he disagreed with another expert’s opinion on the causes of the deceased injuries. 

He said there were miscalculations in the formula used by the 29th witness Prof Dr Shahrom Abd Wahid, a senior consultant forensic pathologist to obtain the impact of injury. 

Dr Hafizam, who was the 24th witness, said  Dr Shahrom likely did not take into account the weight of the EMRS van.

“There is a formula normally used for cases involving a fall from a high place. Because of that we did not include the distance of the deceased because we do not know from where he had fallen.

Nevertheless, based on this calculation, what happened was sufficient to break the ribs,” he said on the 32th day of hearing.

The witness said based on a re-examination and experiment carried out on April 12, he and 27th witness, HKL Forensic Department chief Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood concurred in disagreeing with the theory presented by Dr Shahrom, which was that Muhammad Adib was pulled and was trapped between the sliding door of the EMRS van.

Responding to conducting officer Faten Hadni Khairuddin, Dr Ahmad Hafizam said the van door which was said to have hit Adib’s chest was 28cm in length while the size of the injury on the deceased’s body was only 15cm.

It was obvious, he said, that the injury was not consistent with the length of the door’s structure.

“I also disagree with Prof Dr Shahrom’s testimony that the bruises on the deceased’s left elbow was a result of his falling on his back. This is because the injury on his right knee showed that the victim had fallen forward and the injury to the left elbow could also be due to that.

“As for the fractures at the back of the third and fourth ribs on the right which the 29th witness said was due to direct impact and resulting in an oblique injury, I don’t agree,” he said.

He said he had examined the fractures and these were caused by the impact on the front of the ribs.

Earlier, the High Court allowed the conducting officer’s request to bring an EMRS van to the court compound on Wednesday to test its speed.

Adib, who was Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue EMRS personnel, sustained injuries in a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya on November 27, 2018, and died on December 17 at the National Heart Institute. – Bernama, May 10, 2019.

The inquest resumes on Tuesday before coroner Rofiah Mohamad. – Bernama, May 10, 2019.