LIVE: Police to cross-examine missing activist’s wife
Noel Achariam
| May 31, 2018
THE Special Branch (SB) officer who allegedly revealed that the police were behind the abductions of at least two missing activists will not take the stand today although he has agreed to testify in the ongoing public inquiry.
Instead, police observers at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) public inquiry will today cross-examine Norhayati Ariffin, the wife of missing activist Amri Che Mat.
In her testimony yesterday, Norhayati revealed how a SB officer, Sergeant Shamzaini Mohd Daud from Perlis, had allegedly told her that her husband was under police surveillance before he went missing.
Shamzaini had also allegedly told her that former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar knew of this operation. Amri was allegedly being investigated for spreading Shia teachings and dabbling in forex.
Norhayati had also told the inquiry panel that a special team from the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman had carried had out the abductions of Amri and Pastor Raymond Koh. This, she said, was also revealed to her by the 38-year-old Shamzaini.
Armed with that information, Norhayati lodged a police report and informed Suhakam who brought forward the inquiry dates.
Today, when the inquiry resumes, Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner R. Munusamy and his team are expected to cross-examine Norhayati.
A Suhakam source revealed that they had already contacted, Shamzaini who has agreed to testify, but he will only take the stand after all other witnesses have testified.
The inquiry heard yesterday that Shamzaini had decided to come out now because a new government has taken over Putrajaya and he did not want to be implicated in any way for Amri’s disappearance.
Amri went missing on November 24, 2016. He was believed to have been abducted by a group of people in four-wheel-drive vehicles that were seen surrounding his car in Kg Padang Behor.
Koh was abducted on February 13 last year by several men in balaclavas who used black SUVs to block his car in Petaling Jaya.
Suhakam is conducting a public inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, to ascertain if they are cases of enforced disappearance. – May 31, 2018.
The Malaysian Insight brings you live updates from today’s proceedings:
4.40pm: Amri’s family lawyer, Jerald Gomez, asks Aizat how he knows that Shamzaini denied talking about Amri’s abduction.
Gomez also asks if he knew that Shamzaini only came to inquire about renting a shoplot.
Aizat says that in his conversation with Norhayati, she did not mention anything about him wanting to rent a shoplot.
Gomez then asks Aizat if she might be concocting the whole meeting with Shamzaini.
Aizat says that Norhayati has only one shoplot, which she has rented out to Parit Audio.
“All I know is that Parit Audio has been renting the shoplot for 10 years.
“So, it doesn’t make sense for him (Shamzaini) to come and ask about renting a shoplot.”
The inquiry ends and will resume on June 7.
4.20pm: The panel calls Aizat Zahid, a family friend of Amri’s, to give his testimony.
Aizat tells the inquiry how he was informed about the meeting between Norhayati and Shamzaini.
“I was told about the meeting from Norhayati, who WhatsApped me at 12.50am, and I also got a missed call from her.
“I noticed the message at 1am. In her message, she said that needed help and that a police officer had spoken to her about Amri’s abduction.”
Aizat then tells the inquiry that he went to her house and she relayed all the information about the meeting to him.
4.10pm: Munusamy then asked Amira if she knew that once a police report was lodged in Shah Alam, it will also be sent to Perlis.
“Do you know that’s why (regarding the report) the police officers went to the house?”
Amira said she didn’t know.
Munusamy then asked Amira if she knew that Shamzaini had lodged a police report denying that the police was involved in the abduction.
Amira again replied she doesn’t know.
The panel the relieves Amira.
4pm: Suhakam officers ask Amira if any untoward incident had occurred after they had lodged the police report.
Amira said after lodging the report and when she was on the way back to Perlis, her second youngest sister called and said four police officers had come to the house.
“We are told that only one officer was in uniform while the three were plainclothes officers.”
3.30pm: Suhakam officers ask Norhayati’s daughter, Amira, to recall the meeting between Norhayati and Shamzaini.
Amira said that she was with her mother during the two-hour conversation with Shamzaini.
“I only left my mother for five minutes to go and get some money from my room.”
Amira then tells the inquiry that on May 14, she followed her mother to meet her lawyers and on May 15, they lodged a police report.
3.20pm: The inquiry then calls Amri’s second eldest daughter Nur Amira Amri, 18, to the witness stand.
Amira was allegedly with Norhayati when Shamzaini relayed the alleged involvement of the police in Amri’s abduction.
3.10pm: Munusamy then asks Norhayati if she knew which division of the police force Shamzaini worked in.
Norhayati replies that she did not know (prior to meeting him).
Munusamy then asks Norhayati if she knew that he only worked in the administrative side until January 2018.
Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai then interjects, saying she only met him on May 12.
Munusamy then tells the inquiry that during Amri’s alleged abduction (in November 2016), Shamzaini worked in the administrative side.
The panel then relieves Norhayati.
2.55pm: Munusamy then asks Norhayati if she is aware that Shamzaini had lodged a police report denying all the things she had revealed to the panel.
Norhayati says she is unaware of the police report.
Munusamy the asks Norhayati to read the police report.
Norhayati then tells the inquiry that in Shamzaini’s report, he says that he only came on May 12 to meet her and ask if he could rent a shop at her house.
She then reasserts that she did not know about the report.
2.50pm: Munusamy asks Norhayati if she is aware that all the information that Shamzaini conveyed to her on May 12 was also made known to the public.
Norhayati replies that not all the details were revealed to the public.
Munusamy then asks her about Shamzaini, saying that he will provide pictures and information of Razman (Shamziani’s superior).
“Did you receive any information from Shamzaini before lodging your police report on May 15?”
Norhayati says she never saw nor spoke to him after May 12.
2.30pm: Police observer Sentul police chief R. Munusamy tells Norhayati that, during the course of the public inquiry, media reports stated that a group had abducted Amri and broken his window. He then asks if she agreed with these reports.
Norhayati says she that she knows of the reports.
Munusamy then asks her if she knows whether a Gold Vios was present during the abduction.
Norhayati says she was told that there was a Vios present after the abduction.
2.20pm: The Suhakam inquiry continues with missing activist Amri Che Mat’s wife being called to the stand for the second day of the inquiry.
Norhayati Ariffin was summoned to testify that police officers were involved in her husband’s abduction.
Report:
31 May 2018- LIVE: Police to cross-examine missing activist’s wife