A SENIOR police officer will resume giving testimony today at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) public inquiry into missing pastor Raymond Koh.

Police CID deputy director commissioner Huzir Mohamed was summoned to testify after his name cropped up in the testimony of Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat last year. 

Huzir was identified as Bukit Aman’s point person coordinating the police’s joint investigations into the disappearances of Koh and three activists.

Last month the inquiry heard that on June 17 last year, a suspected drug and human trafficker was shot dead near Kg Weng in Ulu Lenggong, Kedah. 

Further investigations led police to the dead man’s house, where they found the photos of Koh, his house, car and number plates. 

Huzir said police arrested three suspects who were later released on bail after police found them to be unconnected to Koh’s case.

Huzir told the panel he had no idea how the photos ended up in the suspects house. 

The pastor was abducted in Petaling Jaya on February 13 last year by about 15 men in three black SUVs.

The abduction was caught on closed-circuit television cameras and has been described as a well-coordinated operation.

Suhakam seeks to determine whether the missing Koh, Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat, as well as pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth Sitepu, are cases of enforced disappearance sanctioned by the state. 

The Malaysian Insight brings you live updates of today’s proceedings:

12.30pm: Police observer IGP secretariat SAC R. Munusamy asks Huzir whether he, in his experience, have always had knowledge of all the details when giving a press statement.

Huzir says no and that it is usually his officer who prepares the statements.

Munusamy asks Huzir if he agrees that when Khalid gave his press statement he did not have all the facts of the case.

Huzir agrees.

The hearing ends. The inquiry will resume on October 31.  

12.15pm: Mah asks Gomez if number plates had been found, wouldn’t they be on the search list.

Gomez says Khalid had confirmed such a find and that the former IGP had said it was related to Koh to strengthen the case.

He says Khalid said there were not only pictures but actual number plates. 

Gomez asserts that they were planted to show connection to Koh’s case. 

Mah asks Gomez the basis for such an assertion.

Gomez says it is based on evidence given by Khalid that number plates were found in the suspect’s house, yet the number plates have not shown up on the search list.

11.30am: Gomes asks Huzir if he went to the suspect’s house in Pengkalan Hulu after the shooting. 

Huzir says he did.

Mah asks how many teams went to Pengkalan Hulu.

Huzir says only the special task force on organised crime team went. 

Gomez asks Huzir who else did he inform to go to Pengkalan Hulu. 

Huzir said he informed SAC Fadzil. 

Gomez asks if the items that were confiscated from Pengkalan Hulu were handed over to Fadzil and Inspector Supari. 

Huzir says yes, they collected the items at IPD Pengkalan Hulu. 

11.05am: Gomez asks Huzir during his last testimony that he can confirm that there were number plates.

Gomez then told Huzir that there are no physical number plates from Koh’s vehicle.

Huzir then said that there were number plates in Baling, but not from Koh’s vehicle, but there were pictures of Koh’s vehicle in Pengkalan Hulu.

10.45am: Gomez asks Huzir if the number plate ST5515 of Koh’s car is on the search list as former IGP Khalid has confirmed the recovery of photos and number plates in his testimony last year.

Gomez says Khalid said police recovered number plates as well as pictures of Koh, his vehicles and his house.

Gomez asks if there are physical number plates. 

Huzir says number plates were found in Baling Kedah, but they were not Koh’s.

He said that only pictures of the plate were found in Pengkalan Hulu. 

10.15am: Gomez asks Huzir if he can produce the seizure list in Pengkalan Hulu at the home of a suspect that was shot dead. 

Huzir says he can produce the list. 

Gomez asks Huzir who made the list. 

Huzir says it was done by Sergeant Azril.

9.55am: Gomez asks Huzir whether Saiful Bahari worked in Pulapol for 18 years and whether he had information about his friends and family.

Huzir says they have all his details.

Gomez then asks why they have been unable to locate him as he is a crucial witness.

Huzir says his team conducted surveillance at two areas but could not locate Saiful.

Gomez asks Huzir whether he believes police did their best to find Saiful.

Huzir says his team did their best and that other teams were working on it, too.

9.35am: Suhakam calls Federal Police CID deputy director commissioner Huzir Mohamed to take the witness stand.

Koh’s family lawyer, Jerald Gomez, asks Huzir whether information about the whereabouts of the owner of the gold Vios and vehicles was allegedly involved in Koh’s abduction came under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972.

Huzir says the investigations are secret.

Jerald said that Huzir needs to answer the question as they need to know if the state is involved. – October 15, 2018.