SUHAKAM INQUIRY | Former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar is set to testify tomorrow at the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of Amri Che Mat.
This is the first time Khalid has been summoned over the activist’s disappearance, which occurred during his tenure as police chief.
Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai, who chairs the inquiry, confirmed this during today’s hearing of the case.
Amri disappeared on the night of Nov 24, 2016.
His wife, Norhayati Ariffin, previously claimed that she was informed by a police special branch officer that Amri had been taken by the same team of Bukit Aman police officers behind pastor Raymond Koh's disappearance.
She added that the officer in question, Mohd Shamzaini Mohd Daud, had come forward following the change of government, as he did not want to be an accessory to the alleged abduction.
Shamzaini later denied Norhayati’s claims, explaining that he only approached her to inquire about renting a shop lot she owned.
Shamzaini 'not threatened'
Today’s inquiry heard from three witnesses – Special Branch officer Inspector Mohd Azizie Abdul Hamid, Mohd Shamzaini’s sister Norhashimah Mohd Daud, and Perlis Hope spokesperson Mohd Faisol Abdul Rahman.
Amri (photo) co-founded the Perlis Hope NGO, which operated from his home in Kangar.
Cross-examined by police observer Loh Wooi Kee, Faisol admitted to sending a WhatsApp message to Mohd Shamzaini on Jul 6, the same day the latter testified before Suhakam.
The message quoted the Hadith and warned of the perils of giving a false testament.
Faisol denied sending the message as a threat, insisting that it was just religious “advice,” of the same kind her claimed to have offered Norhayati.
Meanwhile, Norhashimah said her brother did not discuss Amri's case with her in a phone call placed on the same night he met Norhayati.
Azizie was questioned regarding the work schedule of his former staff Saiful Bahari, whose gold-coloured Toyota Vios was spotted loitering outside Amri’s house in Perlis days before his disappearance.
Suhakam is investigating if Amri’s disappearance, as well as that of two others, were “enforced or involuntary” as defined by the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006.
Malaysia is not a signatory of the ICPPED.
Enforced disappearance is defined as the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state or by persons, or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the state.
Aside from Mah, today’s proceedings were presided over by Suhakam commissioners Aishah Bidin and Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.