KUALA LUMPUR: Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali told the Sessions Court here on Monday (Feb 20) that she had submitted some photos and videos of Bella, a teenage girl with Down syndrome, and a police report to the defence team.
Siti Bainun, 31, said other exhibits included screenshots of Facebook posts by the prosecution’s first witness, Zurianty Sudin, and a birthday party video of the prosecution’s fifth witness, Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, which was also handed over to her lawyer.
She said a total of 218 exhibits were handed over to the defence for marking after being printed and copied by herself.
Siti Bainun said this while reading her witness statement in the defence case for neglecting and abusing Bella before Judge Izralizam Sanusi, who had earlier allowed her to read the fifth and sixth paragraphs of her statement, to which the prosecution objected to.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zilfinaz Abbas requested that several paragraphs in Siti Bainun’s witness statement to be expunged because they were prejudicial.
“In the statement, Siti Bainun, the defendant, expressed further comments and views, including challenging the testimony of experts who were called as prosecution witnesses.
“We argue that the defendant is not an expert to criticise the testimonies of our witnesses,” he said.
Siti Bainun’s counsel, Mohammad Farhan Maaruf appealed that the court would allow his client to read all the written statements as they were not prejudicial.
At the proceedings on Monday, Siti Bainun informed the court that she re-appointed Mohammad Farhan, who had previously withdrawn himself from representing her, as her counsel.
On Jan 26, she was ordered to give her statement of defence even without representation after the court decided that the defence proceedings would go on so as not to disrupt the course of the case.
Siti Bainun was alleged to have committed the offence in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021.
The charges were framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which carries imprisonment for up to 20 years or a fine of RM50,000 or both, if found guilty. – Bernama