Conflicting statements given by two cops at Suhakam probe on Pastor Koh’s abduction
23rd Nov 2017
Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said three men and a Thai woman were handed over to his task force to be investigated, when asked by Datuk Jerald Gomez, the lawyer representing Koh’s family.
However, Gomez questioned his testimony as ASP Supari Muhammad had previously claimed that it was four men – three Malays and an Indian – who were detained to assist investigations.
“There were three men and a woman. They were arrested in connection with Koh’s abduction. They were handed over to us (by the Kedah police), to the Petaling Jaya police headquarters,” SAC Fadzil told the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) public inquiry on the disappearances of Koh and three others yesterday.
He added that the woman was the Thai wife of a dead suspect.
SAC Fadzil said this in response to the incident on June 17 where a fatal shootout with a suspect near Kampung Weng, Ulu Lenggong, Kedah, resulted in three other suspects being detained.
Further investigations also led police to raid a house in Kampung Selarong, Pengkalan Hulu, Perak.
During the raid, four items relating to Koh were found at the suspect’s house: photos of Koh, his house and his vehicle as well as a licence plate bearing the number ST5515D.
When asked by Gomez to confirm the race of the three men, SAC Fadzil said they were two Malays and an Indian.
Upon further probing, Gomez asked SAC Fadzil to confirm the earlier statement made by ASP Supari to the inquiry who said that four male suspects were arrested and that there were no females detained.
“I need to go back to check this. I am not sure. To be exact I have to go back to check on this,” SAC Fadzil said, adding that ASP Supari might be right as he was the investigating officer.
SAC Fadzil later also retracted his remarks that the Thai woman was brought to Kuala Lumpur to be questioned.
He said that maybe she was questioned in Kedah and was not sure if police personnel working on Koh’s case were sent to Kedah to interrogate the Thai woman.
Meanwhile, Datuk Mah Weng Kwai, chairman of the inquiry, also questioned how the four items relating to Koh’s abduction ended up in the suspect’s house.
“I don’t have any explanation as to how those items ended up in the house,” SAC Fadzil said.
Gomez also questioned why the four items were not in the search list in Kedah Police Chief Commissioner Datuk Asri Yusoff’s report.
“I have not seen the search list,” he said.
He later clarified that the suspects were released after their remand order was up as they had no evidence to link them to Koh’s case.
The hearing before commissioners Mah, Prof Datuk Dr Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh continues on Dec 4.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/11/24/gender-and-race-confusion-at-inquiry-conflicting-statements-given-by-two-cops-at-suhakam-probe-on-pa/#3MHFVBmwfEPxuQVg.99