The defence in the murder trial of Cradle Fund chief executive officer (CEO) Nazrin Hassan in the High Court here today questioned the validity of an analysis by Fire and Rescue Department’s (JBPM) laboratory which found traces of petrol on samples from the scene.

Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said this was because an analysis by the Chemistry Department on samples taken at the scene did not find traces of petrol or inflammable liquid.

“The outcome of the analysis conducted by the Department of Chemistry found no petrol in the room. Police have taken samples by scraping the floor and several other places.

“The result of this analysis is contrary to what was found by the JBPM laboratory,” he said when cross-examining JBPM director of fire safety, Edwin Galan Teruki.

Earlier, Galan, who is the 20th prosecution witness, said he disagreed with Muhammad Shafee's suggestion that the result of the analysis by JBPM’s laboratory on the finding on petrol traces was wrong since the Chemistry Department's analysis showed a different result.

Galan said the petrol marks could not necessarily be found on samples that were scrapped at the scene as the amount of fuel used in the incident was small.

As such, he said, the results of the analysis of samples taken from the scene by the Department of Chemistry did not find any traces of petrol or inflammable liquid.

During the proceeding on Dec 2, science officer at the Selangor JBPM laboratory, Aznor Sheda Samsudin, 39, who is the 14th prosecution witness, told the court that petrol stains were found on three samples which she analysed.

Samirah Muzaffar, 45, and two boys, aged 17 and 14, as well as an Indonesian woman, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, were charged with murdering Nazrin at a house in Mutiara Damansara, between 11.30 pm on June 13, 2018 and 4 am the following day.

The hearing before judge Datuk Ab Karim Ab Rahman continues on July 24.

-- BERNAMA