THE 'lawyers' wore jackets with QRP emblazoned on the front.

QRP is not a new law firm, it stands for Queenstown Remand Prison and the 'lawyers' are actually jailbirds.

Iryan Abdul Karim, 21, Muhammad Hamdan Abdul Rahman, 20, and Mohammed Zameen Abdul Manoff, 21, are on trial, charged with physically and sexually abusing their cell mate, M, between 27 Apr and 4 May last year.

All, currently serving jail sentences, are conducting their own defence.

Their alleged victim, M, 22, cannot be named because of a court order.

His injuries included a fractured breastbone and chest bone, fractured ribs, fractured vertebrae, a lung infection, a lacerated liver, acute kidney failure, and multiple muscular injuries.

Over the past five days, the jailbird 'lawyers' peppered their language with legal speak like 'I put it to you', 'Are you certain?', and 'Please tell the court'.

No angels

While admitting they were no angels themselves, they tried to profile M as aggressive and violent.

They also tried to make the court believe that he was a liar and boaster.

The men do not deny physically assaulting M, but deny sexually abusing him and claim he performed sex acts willingly.

During the trial, Iryan often referred to a bundle of thick court documents in front of him as he stood in the dock.

He spoke clearly and politely as he faced M and the other witnesses.

When he questioned M on Tuesday, he regularly paused to ask him if he wanted to change anything or add anything to his statement.

Occasionally, he would curtly tell M to 'just answer the question' if M gave a longer answer than usual.

Muhammad Hamdan, on the other hand, sounded hostile on Tuesday as he questioned M, often saying 'Is it yes, no, or you can't remember?' whenever M seemed to hesitate in his answers.

He also often spoke with his hands behind his back.

He frequently interrupted M when he spoke.

When M said he could not remember after he was asked several questions, Muhammad Hamdan said: 'When people tell the truth, they can remember their stories, but if they tell lies, chances are they will forget their lies.'

The third man, Mohammed Zameen, often restlessly shifted his weight as he stood in the dock, and adjusted his spectacles from time to time as he quizzed the witnesses.

Unusual turn

Things took an unusual turn yesterday when the prisoners ended up cross-examining their prison guards, including the officer commanding of their housing unit, DSP Shahril Abdul Ghani.

When Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Osman said yesterday that M told him Mohammed Zameen had sodomised him a few times, Mohammed Zameen raised his voice slightly as he asked him: 'Are you sure? Could you be mistaken?'

The officer's voice also rose a little as he maintained his stand. Mohammed Zameen then backed down.

Some of the other prison officers looked long and hard at the trio as they cross-examined them.

Throughout the trial, even Deputy Public Prosecutor David Khoo occasionally raised his eyebrows at their questions, but Justice Tay Yong Kwang looked unaffected by the drama unfolding before him.

He calmly wrote his notes, and occasionally questioned the witnesses himself.

On Monday, the doctors who treated the victim are expected to take the stand.

The trial is scheduled to end on 17 Jul.

This article was first published in The New Paper