Widjaja: Wails, blood, death fall

May 23, 2009

DAY 3 OF THE INQUIRY

Wails, blood, death fall

Witnesses describe events at NTU campus

By Sujin Thomas & Kimberly Spykerman

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TRAINEE engineer Pattarin Kusopalin was in the corridor when she heard 'thunderous wails' for help. The Thai national froze, wondering where the 'terrifying noise' was coming from.

Iranian student saw Widjaja on roof An Iranian PhD student, Ms Lobna Kamyab, next saw Mr Widjaja while she was on her way to a laboratory along a common corridor one floor below. He was ahead of her, climbing onto a parapet ledge. His clothes were soaked and he was dripping blood from an 'awful wound' on his right wrist, she told the court. The autopsy showed that it was a deep cut 7.5cm long. ... more

A door opened at the other end of the corridor in the Nanyang Technological University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and she saw a former teacher, Associate Professor Cheah Chien Chern, striding out.

He too had heard the cries for help.

Ms Kusopalin recalled that the door to another office then opened and she saw Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk, 45, backing out, his shirt heavily soaked with blood. Prof Chan staggered toward Prof Cheah, who saw that he was gripping a broken knife blade in his right hand. Frightened by the blood, Ms Kusopalin turned and ran.

Ms Kusopalin was one of seven witnesses who took the stand on Friday on the third day of the coroner's inquiry into the death of Indonesian undergraduate David Hartanto Widjaja, 21.

Their separate accounts pieced together the events of March 2, when Mr Widjaja allegedly attacked Prof Chan before falling to his death minutes later from four storeys.

Prof Chan told the courtroom that he asked Prof Cheah to call the police and an ambulance. When Mr Widjaja stepped out of his office moments later, he pointed at the young man and shouted: 'Can someone get the student?'

Mr Widjaja pointed at the injured professor and hurled some words after him. Prof Chan told the half-filled courtroom: 'I cannot recall his exact words but he said something that sounded like he was blaming me - that I was the one who started this.'

The hearing continues on Monday.

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