THE Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry into missing pastor Raymond Koh is expected to end today with two police officers taking the stand.

The Suhakam panel summoned former Special Branch commissioner Awaluddin Jadid and a new witness, Supt Hazril Kamis.

Lawyers representing the Koh family earlier said they were seeking two new witnesses without whom the inquiry into the pastor’s disappearance will hit a wall.

They said the testimony of the two witnesses is crucial to establish if the state or police had a hand in the pastor’s disappearance.

Lawyer Jerald Gomez, who is representing Koh’s family, said they have asked the Suhakam panel to subpoena three witnesses but will suffice if a minimum of two can attend the hearing. 

Gomez said if only one witness showed up today, then it will be pointless as he could say whatever he wanted without any way to challenge his evidence.

Koh 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 in what was described as a well-coordinated operation.

Suhakam is also conducting an inquiry into missing pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, and Perlis activist Amre Che Mat to ascertain if their disappearance were cases of enforced disappearance.

The Malaysian Insight covers the proceedings live.

4.05pm: SAC R. Munusamy, of Bukit Aman’s IGP Secretariat (Research and Development) Organisation Management Modernisation, asks Asri if he was aware that there was other evidence that was not displayed. 

Asri says the items not displayed were two flags with Allahu Akbar written on it and was coloured green, red, white and black; books on how to defend Patani folk; and pictures of a person believe to be Koh, a house, car and signboard. 

Munusamy asks why these items not diaplayed.

Asri says because of the sensitivity of the items, such as the flags, and he didnt want to jeopardise Koh’s safety as investigations were on going. 

Mah says after hearing all the testimony, the inquiry is formally closed.

He says submissions will be on January 15 while January 31 is to reply all submissions. 

3.20pm: Gomez asks Asri if he had all the details when he issued a press statement on the shootout last year, and whether the details are true.

Asri says he gave a general statement that was not detailed, but contained truthful facts.

Gomez asks if he had received all the information before making the statement.

Asri says yes.

Gomez asks if he can confirm that no items linked to Koh were displayed during his press conference on the shootout.

Asri says yes.

Gomez asks if he had seen pictures of Koh, as well as Koh’s car and other items.

Asri says no.

3.05pm: Suhakam resumes the inquiry, with former Kedah police chief Asri Yusof taking the stand.

Gomez asks if police were involved in the Baling shootout.

Asri says they were only there to conduct investigations.

He says the case was taken over by the Baling CID, under his purview.

Gomez asks if he was aware that Stafoc was involved in the smuggling case.

Asri says yes.

12.20pm: Gomez then presents two search lists to the panel and asks Hazril who filled them.

Hazril says he did.

Gomez tells the panel that on one search list, the number seven had a dash wherelse on the second search list, the number seven didn’t have a dash on the number.

Gomez says the second list was done by some else.

Hazril denies it.

Mah asks why the difference on the search list.

Hazril says it could be because they were tired after carrying out operations for several days and the shootout.

He insists he wrote it.

Mah then relieves Hazril.

The Suhakam inquiry breaks for Friday prayers. 

11.45am: Gomez asks Hazril if there was any other police team that saw the items that were confiscated. 

Hazril says there was no other team and he was the one who confiscate the items. 

He says he handed the items to Pengkalan Hulu CID officers Tan and Affendi.

Gomez asks if he gave the items to anyone else or Supari. 

Hazril says he didn’t give them to Supari or anyone else. 

Gomez says Khalid said the items were given to Supari. 

Hazril says he doesn’t know. 

11.20am: Gomez asks Hazril if they found pictures of Prima 16 (Koh house) and a Chinese man (Koh).

Hazril says they found five pictures printed on paper. There were a picture of a signboard of Prima 16, two of a house and two of ST5515D (Koh car). 

Gomez asks who was informed of the findings. 

Hazril says he informed Huzir about the pictures and told him there was a picture that looks like Koh and, among others, a pipe bomb in the house. 

He says Huzir was more concerned about the bomb and asked the officers to confiscate all the items.

10.55am: Gomez asks Hazril who was at the house when they went there.

Hazril says there was a woman whom they thought is the victim’s wife.

Gomez then asks what happened at the house. 

Hazril said they found bullets and five photos printed on paper. 

Gomez asks if Hazril found any physical number plate.

Hazril replies “no”.

Gomez says former inspector-general of police Kahlid Abu Bakar said police found physical number plates.

Hazril denies this.

10.40am: Gomez asks Hazril if he lodged any police report on the incident. 

Hazril says he lodged a report and his officer, Khairul, received it. 

Gomez then asks isn’t it standard operating procedure to go to a police station instead of giving a report to an officer. 

Hazril says he wrote the report and his officer received it. 

Gomez then asks how they knew Fauzi’s address Pengkalan Hulu Perak.

Hazril says forensics found a paper with an address on it and they went to check the place out. 

10.25am: Gomez asks Hazril after the shootout to whom they reported the incident.

Hazril says he first reported the incident to IPD Baling and Huzir.

Gomez asks if Hazril confiscated anything from the crime scene. 

Hazril says they only did technical check to ensure the scene was safe and there were no other threats. 

They found a semi-automatic pistol, syabu in the dashboard and two number plates bearing the numbers BNW 217 and WNS 5168. 

Hazril says the IPK Kedah forensics then confiscated all the items. 

Gomez asks if they found any handphone from the victim.

Hazril says “no”. 

10.15am: Gomez asks what happened when the police team found Fauzi.

Hazril says they were doing their rounds when they spotted a suspicious car at 4am. 

The officers then blocked the car and a shootout ensued. 

Hazril says Fauzi fired about three shots before police shot back. 

Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai asks Hazril how many shots did he fire. 

Hazril fired four shots and was about 5m to 7m from the vehicle where Fauzi was in. 

10am: Gomez asks Hazril why did the police officers go to Baling.

Hazril says they were ordered to catch a person named Fauzi, who was involved in human trafficking, drugs and firearms smuggling at the border with Thailand.

Gomez asks when were the instructions given.

Hazril says two weeks before the incident.

Gomez asks who went to Baling.

Hazril replies two senior officers and seven personnel.

Gomez asks how did they get the information on Fauzi.

Hazril says they got the information from a source. 

9.45am: The Suhakam inquiry on Koh resumes with the panel calling Special Task Force on Organised Crime (Stafoc) chief of operations Supt Hazril Kamis to the stand.

Koh family lawyer Jerald Gomez asks Hazril if Stafoc officers are posted all over country. 

Hazril says they are only in Bukit Aman. 

Gomez asks if Stafoc officers went to Baling, Kedah, in 2017, where a smuggler was shot dead. 

Hazril said “yes” after getting instructions from federal police CID deputy director commissioner Huzir Mohamed. – December 7, 2018.