The proceedings before sessions court judge Marlina Ibrahim are being conducted under a gag order, with access restricted to the parties directly involved.

According to the court registrar, one of the witnesses is an academic teacher, while the other is a guidance and counselling teacher.

The cross-examination of the second witness is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

The prosecution is led by deputy public prosecutor Nor Azizah Mohamad, who is assisted by DPPs Nik Haslinie Hashim, Husni Fairos Ramly and Deepa Nair Thevaharan.

Lawyer Ram Singh is representing the first accused, while the other four are represented by lawyers Azhier Farhan Arisin, Abdul Fikry Jaafar, Fareez Salleh and Sylyester Kuan, respectively.

The five girls were charged in the children’s court here on Aug 20 with using abusive words against Zara under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Zara died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar.