 A WITNESS claims a burns victim died because he ploughed his car through an inferno of blazing tyres, not because he was attacked with Molotov cocktails. The 20-year-old Bahraini told the High Criminal Court that he saw Shaikh Mohammed Riaz drive his pick-up through a fiery blockade in Ma'ameer last March. He also described the moment he saw Mr Riaz stagger away from his vehicle with smoke rising from his body. "I saw several police jeeps drive through the fire to get to the other side, but they were driving at a very high speed," the witness told judges yesterday. "Minutes later I saw the victim's pick-up drive through the burning tyres, but he was driving at a slower speed and part of his tyres caught fire. Then I heard the sound of screeching tyres and someone shouting for help. Minutes later Mr Riaz came running out, clutching a black bag with smoke coming from his head and back." The witness, who said he was driving to his home in Ma'ameer when he saw the incident, was called to the stand by lawyers of nine men accused of murdering Mr Riaz. Prosecutors claim the 58-year-old was killed when his pick-up truck was ambushed in a Molotov cocktail attack. The nine suspects, aged 17 to 25, are accused of murder, rioting and arson, as well as possessing and making Molotov cocktails, while a 10th suspect is still at large. A second witness who testified on behalf of the defence yesterday said he initially helped Mr Riaz, but claimed he insisted on grabbing a black bag from his vehicle before running to police. "I was inside the village when I heard a screeching brake and saw a man coming out of a pick-up with his head and back on fire," he said. "I went to his aid and helped put out the fire, but he was scared of me so I instructed him to run to police. But he went back to his car and snatched a black bag before running towards the policemen." The witness, a 36-year-old Bahraini employed by the Interior Ministry, was one of several people initially arrested in connection with the incident, but was later released without charge. He claimed he was repeatedly beaten in police custody until he confessed to murder, but later pleaded not guilty when he was brought before the Public Prosecution where he was cleared of any involvement. Lawyers claimed yesterday that the same witness was forced to sign a blank document by prosecutors, who told him they would fill in his testimony later. He and another witness, a relative of two of the suspects, also told the court yesterday that they had witnessed police assaulting the defendants in custody to force them to confess. A fourth witness who also testified yesterday said he saw the ministry employee come to the aid of Mr Riaz while he was still on fire, adding that Mr Riaz's car was also ablaze. Defence lawyers earlier argued that Mr Riaz died as a result of medical incompetence, not as a result of the injuries he suffered in Ma'ameer. A doctor who treated him has told the court he had been 99 per cent confident that Mr Riaz would survive, but he died after developing sudden complications. The defence yesterday asked the court to summon further witnesses, including SMC Intensive Care Unit consultant Dr Mariam Al Ansari. However, judges refused and adjourned the trial until April 25 for the submission of defence papers. All nine suspects were in court yesterday, including two who were released from custody because they had turned themselves in. noor@gdn.com.bh |
Man 'died in inferno'
| A WITNESS claims a burns victim died because he ploughed his car through an inferno of blazing tyres, not because he was attacked with Molotov cocktails. The 20-year-old Bahraini told the High Criminal Court that he saw Shaikh Mohammed Riaz drive his pick-up through a fiery blockade in Ma'ameer last March. He also described the moment he saw Mr Riaz stagger away from his vehicle with smoke rising from his body. "I saw several police jeeps drive through the fire to get to the other side, but they were driving at a very high speed," the witness told judges yesterday. "Minutes later I saw the victim's pick-up drive through the burning tyres, but he was driving at a slower speed and part of his tyres caught fire. Then I heard the sound of screeching tyres and someone shouting for help. Minutes later Mr Riaz came running out, clutching a black bag with smoke coming from his head and back." The witness, who said he was driving to his home in Ma'ameer when he saw the incident, was called to the stand by lawyers of nine men accused of murdering Mr Riaz. Prosecutors claim the 58-year-old was killed when his pick-up truck was ambushed in a Molotov cocktail attack. The nine suspects, aged 17 to 25, are accused of murder, rioting and arson, as well as possessing and making Molotov cocktails, while a 10th suspect is still at large. A second witness who testified on behalf of the defence yesterday said he initially helped Mr Riaz, but claimed he insisted on grabbing a black bag from his vehicle before running to police. "I was inside the village when I heard a screeching brake and saw a man coming out of a pick-up with his head and back on fire," he said. "I went to his aid and helped put out the fire, but he was scared of me so I instructed him to run to police. But he went back to his car and snatched a black bag before running towards the policemen." The witness, a 36-year-old Bahraini employed by the Interior Ministry, was one of several people initially arrested in connection with the incident, but was later released without charge. He claimed he was repeatedly beaten in police custody until he confessed to murder, but later pleaded not guilty when he was brought before the Public Prosecution where he was cleared of any involvement. Lawyers claimed yesterday that the same witness was forced to sign a blank document by prosecutors, who told him they would fill in his testimony later. He and another witness, a relative of two of the suspects, also told the court yesterday that they had witnessed police assaulting the defendants in custody to force them to confess. A fourth witness who also testified yesterday said he saw the ministry employee come to the aid of Mr Riaz while he was still on fire, adding that Mr Riaz's car was also ablaze. Defence lawyers earlier argued that Mr Riaz died as a result of medical incompetence, not as a result of the injuries he suffered in Ma'ameer. A doctor who treated him has told the court he had been 99 per cent confident that Mr Riaz would survive, but he died after developing sudden complications. The defence yesterday asked the court to summon further witnesses, including SMC Intensive Care Unit consultant Dr Mariam Al Ansari. However, judges refused and adjourned the trial until April 25 for the submission of defence papers. All nine suspects were in court yesterday, including two who were released from custody because they had turned themselves in. noor@gdn.com.bh |
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