Retired cop denies allegations linking him to Amri Che Mat abduction

3rd Jul 2018


KUALA LUMPUR: A retired high-ranking police officer has denied claims linking him to the abduction of missing activist Amri Che Mat.

CP Datuk Awaludin Jadid, the former principal assistant director of Special Branch’s Social Extremism Division (E2) denied claims by Amri’s wife Norhayati Mohd Ariffin that he was in charge of a police team that abducted Amri in 2016.

“No, I wasn’t involved,” he said on Tuesday (July 3) to a question during the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry on the disappearance of Amri.

In a police report she made on May 15 at the Shah Alam police station, Norhayati had claimed that Awaludin headed a team that abducted both Amri and Pastor Raymond Koh.

She claimed that a police officer had met her on May 12 at her home in Kangar, Perlis to reveal this information.

Awaludin, who retired from the police force on July 1 after 41 years of service had said that the department was in charge of monitoring all “extremist” activities.

He added that this included the monitoring of Muslim and non-Muslim non-governmental organisations (NGO).

Awaludin had also said that the organisation Perlis Hope, which was co-founded by Amri, was a front for Syiah activities.

When grilled by lawyer Nizam Bashir over a speech he made in 2016 where he warned about the danger of Syiah leanings, Awaludin said that it was the Special Branch’s job to prevent unwanted incidents such as violence flaring up here.

He pointed the example of the Middle East, where the Islamic State is waging war against Syiah followers.

Amri had gone out from his home in Kangar at about 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016, in his SUV.

His car was later found at the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School in the wee hours of the morning the following day.

Amri was a mountain climber who was part of the 1997 Mount Everest Malaysian expedition team.

Norhayati and Amri were married in 1997 and have four girls aged between 11 and 19.

The inquiry is being held under Section 12(1) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act in connection with the disappearances of Amri, Pastor Raymond Koh, as well as Pastor Joshua Hilmi and his wife Ruth Sitepu.

The panel of inquiry consists of commissioners Datuk Mah Weng Kwai as chairman, Prof Datuk Dr Aishah Bidin, and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.

The inquiry continues on Thursday (July 5).

Read the article from The Star from this link:

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/03/retired-cop-denies-allegations-linking-him-to-amri-che-mat-abduction/