LIVE: Day 9 of Suhakam inquiry into missing pastors, activist
16th Nov 2017
The panel also expects to hear statements from Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat, who is heading the task force to look for Koh, who was abducted on February 13.
At yesterday’s proceedings, police accused Koh family lawyers of trying to confuse the panel by tendering a photograph that was allegedly a “cut and paste” work while inspector Ali Asrar was giving his statements.
The lawyers had shown a photograph of two masked policemen arresting a suspect without any insignia on their attire.
However, police observers at the inquiry disputed this.
Koh family lawyers then showed the panel the two pictures that were on the website.
After viewing the pictures, the police observers apologised for alleging that fabricated evidence had been produced.
The Suhakam inquiry is to determine if Koh’s disappearance and that of three other Malaysians – Pastor Joshua Hilmy, his wife, Ruth, and social activist Amri Che Mat – are cases of enforced disappearance, a term for abductions carried out with the authorisation or support of the state or a political organisation.
The Malaysian Insight brings you live updates from today’s hearing:
5.30pm: The inquiry ends and will resume tomorrow at 2.45pm.
5.20pm: Koh family lawyers asked Fadzil if police had check the route that Koh could have taken (during his abduction).
Fadzil said right after the incident the police did a thorough check on the route the suspects could have taken.
“We checked the route but there were too many slips.”
4.55pm: Koh family lawyers asked Fadzil how many CCTV recordings were given to the police forensic department, but he said only the investigating officer (Supari) would have the information.
Lawyers then asked if police managed to get any images of the suspect.
Fadzil said they obtained images from the CCTV recordings.
“We got an image from the abduction site CCTV and the witness, and we made two sketches.”
Koh family lawyers asked Fadzil if they have any images of people wearing balaclavas from CCTV recordings on the highway.
Fadzil said not all CCTV are as clear as the ones in banks and offices.
“With those CCTVs we can get close ups of people but on the highway we can only get a view of the number plates.”
4.25pm: Koh family lawyers asked Fadzil how many CCTV recordings do the police have, to which he replied two.
Lawyers then asked if there were any recordings of Jalan Persiaran Tropicana.
Fadzil said he couldn’t recall and would have to check.
Lawyers then asked Fadzil if they have pictures to which he replied they have a lot of pictures.
“We have a lot of pictures from CCTV recordings.”
Lawyers then asked if they can see the pictures, but Fadzil replied that it was under investigations and the documents were classified.
4.05pm: The inquiry takes a 10-minute break.
3.45pm: Koh family lawyers asked Fadzil if Koh was monitored by police prior to his abduction, to which he replied no.
Fadzil said he only knew about the incident at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) and that Koh had received two bullets in the mail.
“Base on that, (Koh threats) we had opened investigation papers.”
3.30pm: Koh family lawyers ask Fadzil if there are any other units investigating the Koh case.
Fadzil there could be because this was a case of public interest and all avenues have to be used to investigate.
“There could be other units. If they have information they will contact us. But I don’t know which unit.”
Lawyers asked Fadzil who would know which department was investigating the case but he said he doesn’t know.
Mah asked Fadzil if Khalid would know which were the units but Fadzil said he doesn’t know either.
3.15pm: Koh family lawyers ask Fadzil how times he had briefed Khalid.
Fadzil says he had briefed Khalid many times.
The lawyers then tell Fadzil that Khalid had said he was only briefed twice by the Selangor CID chief.
They ask Fadzil if he can confirm that he had given more than two briefings to Khalid, to which he replies, “Yes”.
Fadzil says he also updated Khalid at other events, apart from the briefings.
“All press statements issued by Khalid are out of my control.”
2.55pm: Suhakam officers ask Fadzil if he has any leads on Koh’s case after nine months.
Fadzil says there are leads, but they need to be processed before authorities can proceed.
The officers then ask if there are other departments investigating the case.
Fadzil says as far he knows, there is none.
2.45pm: Suhakam officers ask Fadzil if all of the statements made by former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar came from him.
Fadzil says Khalid could have gotten the information from other sources.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to come from me.”
2.30pm: The officers ask Fadzil if he knows all of the investigations being carried out in relation to Koh’s case.
Supari says he is always informed on all that is being done.
The officers ask Supari if he knows all of the investigations being conducted by police, to which he replies, “Yes”.
The officers ask Fadzil if he knew that Koh’s family were upset over not receiving regular updates.
Fadzil says he knew about this, and has told his officers to inform the family whenever there are updates.
2.25pm: Suhakam officers ask Fadzil if Koh’s family were asked questions on Harapan Komuniti and Christianisation as part of the investigations.
Fadzil says Christianisation is one of the angles being examined in the investigations.
The officers ask if Fadzil had sent Supari to investigate Harapan Komuniti, to which he replies, “Yes”.
2.15pm: Suhakam officers ask Fadzil if he knows or has met Koh, to which he replies, “No”.
The officers then ask when did he find out about Koh’s disappearance, to which he replies it was on February 13.
They ask Fadzil if Koh was being investigated by any department in the police force.
Fadzil says he does not know.
2.05pm: The inquiry resumes with Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat taking the stand.
11.50am: The inquiry takes a break for lunch and will resume at 2pm.
11.45am: Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai asks Supari if, to date, there have been investigations that prove there are links between the four cases (Koh, Amri Che Mat, and Joshua and Ruth Hilmy).
Supari says based on the investigations so far, there are no links.
“I look at the Koh case as an abduction. The other cases are missing persons.”
Mah asks Supari what his views on the matter are, base on the overall possibility of ransom, extremists and misunderstanding.
Supari says it appears to him to be more like extremists’ activities.
Mah asks Supari if police have any idea whether Koh is still alive, to which he replies he has no idea.
11.40am: Police observers ask Supari if, as the investigating officer in the case, he had requested for assistance.
The observers also asked him if he knows what other police departments are doing.
“I’m not sure what the other departments are doing,” says Supari.
“I’m continuously working on the case. If there is new information, I will follow up on it.”
Koh family lawyers ask Supari if he knew that Koh was in police custody, to which he replies, “No”.
11.25am: Bar Council observers ask Supari after the police reports were lodged (on February 13), when was the nationwide alert issued.
Supari says the alert was sent out to all border checkpoints, entry and exit points, airports and shipping ports on the same day.
“We sent the alert after 12pm on February 13. We also informed all the contingents in the country. We had specifics on the vehicle (Koh’s car).
“So far, we have not received any information.”
11.10am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari if police investigated the 78 reports.
Supari says they went through all the reports.
“We looked at the reports, but we didn’t open investigations papers.”
The lawyers ask Supari if police had taken action against anyone based on the reports, to which he replies, “No”.
10.45am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari if police have identified the people who lodged the reports.
Supari says he cannot disclose who the individuals and groups are as the information is classified, adding that the lawyers will have to refer to the Attorney-General’s Chambers on the matter.
The lawyers then ask Supari about the reports’ main contents.
Supari says most of the reports were on DUMC and Harapan Komuniti, as well as Koh.
10.35am: The inquiry takes a 10-minute break.
10.25am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari about the raid at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in 2011.
They ask Supari how many police reports, out of the 78 lodged by individuals and groups on the gathering at DUMC, were lodged by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).
Supari says Jais lodged only one report, which was on the raid on DUMC.
The lawyers ask Supari what the 78 reports were on.
Supari says the reports state that the people who lodged them are dissatisfied with what was going on at the church.
10.10am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari about the last mobile signal detected from Koh’s phone in Taman Mayang on February 13.
They ask Supari how the location was tracked.
Supari says there is a police team to track mobile phone locations.
“We give them the mobile phone number, and they will trace the location.”
The lawyers then ask Supari what equipment is used by the police team, to which he says it is classified.
They ask Supari who was the person who identified Koh’s last mobile phone location.
Supari says he gave Koh’s mobile phone number to ASP Nazri to check.
“Nazri checked, and within 30 minutes, he gave us the location (Taman Mayang).”
10am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari about the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) cameras that are linked to the Petaling Jaya IPD.
Supari says the MBPJ cameras are linked to the station, but they only provide live feed and cannot record footage.
The lawyers then ask about the number of monitors at the control station.
Supari says there are 20, which are monitored by six to seven officers at any one time.
The lawyers ask if there is a playback function, in case there is a need to review an incident.
Supari says there is no playback function.
“If we want to view what had transpired, we have to go to the MBPJ control room to see the recorded feed.”
9.45am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari about the results from checking the cameras.
Supari says the cameras did not show anything.
“All the cameras we checked were negative (no sight of the vehicles used in the abduction).”
9.30am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari how many tolls there are in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, to which he replies, “20”.
The lawyers then ask how many tolls have been inspected, and Supari says 10 have been.
The lawyers ask why only 10, to which he replies that checks were carried out only on toll cameras in selected areas along the route believed to have been taken by the abductors.
9.20am: Koh family lawyers ask Supari if he has identified the person who went to Susanna Liew’s house after taking her statement, and whether he was a police officer.
Supari says he has checked and there is no record.
The lawyers ask if it is normal for police officers to conduct a lengthy investigation and then go to the house of the person they are investigating, to which he replies it is possible.
9.10am: The inquiry resumes with ASP Supari Muhammad taking the witness stand. – November 16, 2017.
Link to article found here: https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/23061/