FORMER Special Branch Commissioner Awaluddin Jadid was put in a spot today when he could not explain to the Suhakam inquiry his visit to the Perlis Mufti’s office.

The inquiry is currently focusing on missing activist Amri Che Mat and is listening to testimony from Awaluddin.

The former special branch officer told the inquiry on Tuesday that his visit was a courtesy call to the mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin.

Amri’s family lawyer Nizam Bashir questioned Awaluddin today about his testimony during the inquiry on Tuesday about the meeting.

“If it was a courtesy call, why was there a Powerpoint slide presentation and folders prepared by your division for the meeting?” he asked.

Nizam then showed a picture of a Powerpoint slide and Amri’s house.

He then asked Awaluddin about the photograph and if he knew that it was Amri’s house.

Awaluddin said that it was a picture of a Shia centre in Perlis.

“It’s a photograph of a Shia centre in Perlis which happens to be Amri house,” he said.

However, despite being asked repeatedly, Awaluddin maintained it was a courtesy call and not a briefing on Amri’s activities in Perlis.

“I was there to talk about Shia activities in the state. During the meeting Amri’s name was mentioned,” he said.

On Tuesday, Awaluddin told the inquiry that the Social Extremism Division (E2) which he had headed was not involved the disappearance of Amri. 

Nizam said based on Awaluddin’s testimony that his division was not involved in Amri case was not true.

Amri was allegedly being investigated for spreading Shia teachings.

He 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.

Suhakam is conducting a public inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, to ascertain if they are cases of enforced disappearance. – July 5, 2018.