A child from the Down Syndrome Association of Malaysia holds a sign saying ‘Justice for Bella’ at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, April 1, 2022. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — A close acquaintance of Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali today told the Sessions Court here that she had recorded the video of the Down Syndrome teenage girl known as Bella, with injuries on her body when she met the latter at a condominium in June last year.
However, Zurianty Sudin, 39, who served as a volunteer at Rumah Bonda between 2015 and 2019, denied that the video footage taken at a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju, was leaked or spread on social media to get public attention.
Zurianty said this during cross-examination by lawyer Asiah Abd Jalil, on the third day of Siti Bainun’s trial, who faces charges of neglecting and abusing the 13-year-old girl.
The first prosecution witness also agreed with the lawyer representing Siti Bainun that she lodged two police reports, on June 24 and July 1, 2021 respectively to get the accused arrested.
Zurianty also agreed with the lawyer that she uploaded the status regarding Bella’s case every day on her Facebook since June 24, 2021 with the hope that Siti Bainun would be arrested.
Zurianty, however said she did not know that Siti Bainun had lodged a police report on July 6, 2021 after the video on Bella was circulated.
Asked how she felt after learning that the remand application on Siti Bainun was rejected after the woman was arrested on July 15, 2021, Zurianty said she had no negative emotions as she considered it a normal procedure.
The witness also disagreed that she had deliberately fabricated stories that there was a case of abuse and had coached the occupants of Rumah Bonda to lodge a police report as “Plan B” to get Siti Bainun arrested.
“We were good friends until June 2021 and there were no fights, ill feelings or malice against her,” she said adding that she just could no longer tolerate the lies and unreasonable excuses from the accused.
Siti Bainun, 30, is charged with two counts of neglecting and abusing a 13-year-old Down Syndrome teenage girl that resulted in the victim sustaining physical and emotional injuries in a condominium in Wangsa Maju here between February and June 2021, under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment or a RM50,000 fine or both.
The trial before Judge Izralizam Sanusi continues on Monday. — Bernama