Samirah, two teens responsible for Cradle Fund CEO's death, says prosecution

Samirah Muzaffar and two teenagers have been accused of causing the death of Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan, according to the Court of Appeal on Monday (Sept 4). Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim argued that since the three respondents were the last individuals seen with Nazrin before he was found dead in a burning room, it was reasonable to infer that they had the opportunity to kill him. Samirah entered Nazrin’s room three hours before the fire, he added. The prosecution is appealing against the decision to acquit Samirah, who is Nazrin’s widow, and the two teenagers of murder.

Yusaini Amer argued that the High Court erred in not investigating who was with Nazrin between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018, and 12.46pm the following day. Referring to testimony from a witness known as SP28, who was Nazrin’s driver, Yusaini Amer stated that SP28 confirmed that he dropped off Nazrin at home at 11.30pm on June 13, 2018. “At that time, all the respondents and Eka [Wahyu Lestari] were at home, and the defense did not dispute this. The next day, the deceased was found dead in the house where all the respondents and Eka Wahyu were,” Yusaini Amer explained.

The prosecution claimed that Nazrin died from blunt injuries or a double blunt impact to the head caused by a blunt weapon like a hammer. Investigating officers Abdul Halim Zulkefeli (SP15) and ASP Nizam Daud found no evidence of a break-in into Nazrin’s room. The investigation also revealed that Nazrin’s Blackberry S2 phone did not explode and that the fire in the room was deliberately set.

In response, counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing the respondents, argued that there were no traces of petrol behind the bed frame and floorboard, as shown in the photos. He also claimed that the High Court judge made mistakes in determining that the fire was intentional and the cause of death was a blunt impact rather than blast and blunt penetrating injuries.

Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, along with Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli, who form the three-judge panel, scheduled for further hearing tomorrow. The Attorney-General’s Chambers filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision to acquit Samirah and the teenagers of murder on June 23. A week later, Samirah and the teenagers filed an appeal challenging certain findings of fact by the High Court, including the belief that the fire in Nazrin’s room was deliberately set.