Police officer ‘person of interest’ in Pastor Koh’s disappearance, court hears

 

Abd Rahim Uda, chairman of the task force inquiring into Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat’s disappearance, said it produced an unbiased report containing various recommendations.

KUALA LUMPUR: 

The chairman of a task force set up to investigate the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat today defended the naming of a former Bukit Aman Special Branch officer as a person of interest in its probe.

Abd Rahim Uda said the task force was justified in doing so as Awaludin Jadid, a former senior officer in the Special Branch’s social extremism division, had engaged in activities that were not part of his duties as a police officer.

Testifying under cross-examination by senior federal counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid, Rahim explained the task force’s reasons for arriving at its conclusion.

“Awaludin and some officers paid a courtesy call to the Perlis mufti (Asri Zainul Abidin) a few months before Amri went missing,” the witness said, adding that this did not form part of Awaludin’s duties as a police officer.

He also said Awaludin had told a forum that Shia followers were a “threat to national security”.

“(Awaludin) made it look like he was on a mission to remove these people, which was not right.”

Farhana: But your officers did not meet Awaludin to hear the explanation about his speech?

Rahim: Did you read the transcript (of the speech)? It is self-evident.

Rahim disputed Awaludin’s claim that Shia followers were “dangerous”.

“(Awaludin) never said Shia followers took parangs and attacked civilians. So how do they constitute a threat?”

The witness also said that when it came to religious matters, it was for the state’s religious authorities to take action.

Task force report ‘unbiased’

Rahim also denied that the task force report was biased and said it was neither in favour of the missing activists’ families nor the government.

He said the task force only made recommendations to the government on the steps to be taken in its probe into both cases.

“We recommended that the Attorney-General’s Chambers monitor the investigations every three months.”

This would allow the deputy public prosecutors to instruct investigating officers on how the probe should progress, taking into account the developments in each case, he said.

Rahim was testifying in a lawsuit filed by Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, on behalf of her family, against the police and the government over the pastor’s disappearance.

Liew wants the authorities to be held liable for her husband’s unlawful abduction and for misfeasance in public office.

Rahim also said the task force had limited powers. The duties of gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses had to be carried out by the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“We can only accept what is brought to us at face value. We give them instructions but whether they are carried out or not is a different matter.

“I am no longer a DPP to tell police officers what to do or ask (witnesses),” he said.

Asked by Justice Su Tiang Joo whether the task force members were remunerated by the government for their services, Rahim said he was entitled to receive RM60,000 for the six-month appointment.

“But I have not seen a single sen yet. I am not saying anyone is wrong,” he added.

Suhakam held a public inquiry into the disappearance of Koh and Amri between 2017 and 2019.

It concluded that Koh and Amri were victims of enforced disappearance carried out by the state, specifically by the Special Branch.

The hearing continues on Jan 7 and 14, 2025. - FMT