Brudirect.com - News Headlines

BruneiDirect.Com

Cook Now Says She Is Not Sure It Was Richard
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan – In a further twist yesterday in a triple murder trial, a key witness who had earlier told the court that she recognized 53-year-old car salesman Richard Chia Kok Hong, the accused, with bloodied trousers holding a stick on the night of the tragedy, stumbled on her story under intense cross examination.

Answering Counsel Siva Sankarm, defending, Dayang Faridah Yahya, a cook, told Chief Justice Mohd Said and Judge Dato Steven Chong that she assumed that it was the accused.

On Monday she testified that she was standing at the veranda of her house at about 10pm on December 15 when she saw a man whom she recognised as Richard driving a Nissan Sunny.

Dayang Faridah was Richard’s neighbour.

The murder victims were Royal Brunei Airlines mechanic, Maul bin Jambu, 44, his 37-year-old schoolteacher wife and their adopted daughter Neena Asmira, aged two.

The child was smothered with a pillow while her parents were beaten to death.

About two months after the tragedy, Richard, a neighbour, was produced in court and charged with the murders. He is denying all the charges.

In pressing Farida Counsel Sankaram noted that she had given three different police statements at three different times.

“The first statement said you saw Richard at 9.30 pm, the second statement it was 10 pm and the third statement 10.15 to 1035. I put it to you that you are completely unsure of the time you saw the Nissan Sunny?”

“I agree.”

She also agreed that on March 1 when she gave a statement to the police she said that when she saw the man coming out of Nissan Sunny she did not think it was her neighbour.

The court asked, “But yesterday when you gave evidence and you confirmed it a few minutes ago that that it was Richard, although on March 1 you were not sure. Why did you tell the court today you were sure?”

Faridah: “After I heard the Brunei News Bulletin mentioning the case at Kampong Surusop then only I remembered.”

Counsel Samkaram: “What you are telling now is that you needed the news telecast to enable you to recognize your neighbour?

Faridah: “Yes.”

“You needed the newspaper on the day of his arrest to for you to decide that the man coming out of Nissan Sunny was the accused?”

“Correct.”

Prosecution is led by DPP Haji Yusree Junaidi and is assisted by Nina Jasmine. Counsels Yusof Halim and Siva Sankaram are defending.

Hearing continues.

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Back to News Page

Write to Us

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with