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ABOVE & BELOW: Malaysiakini two news reports on the same day as Trial. Get a subscription to read it HERE and H E R E

ABOVE: An artist impression of Court on Day 22 Trial

Sirul led cops to recovery of Altantuya’s valuables
R.Surenthira Kumar and Maria J.Dass, from SUN
Day 22
SHAH ALAM (July 19, 2007): A police officer told the court today Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar had led a police team to his apartment in Kota Damasara where a pair of earrings, a ring and a watch believed to have belonged to Altantuya Shaariibuu were recovered from a jacket in his wardrobe.

C/Insp Koh Fei Cheow (ABOVE) from the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK KL) serious crimes division told the court Sirul, the second accused in the Altantuya murder trial, had led a team from his division to his apartment in Jalan Chmar, Gugusan Semarak, Section 4, Kota Damasara, where the team recovered a pair of earrings, a ring and a watch from a jacket in his wardrobe.

ABOVE & BELOW: Looking Left or Right?
Koh said the day before that, first accused Azilah Hadri, 31, had led them to the crime scene in Puncak Niaga Empangan Tasik Subang where he identified the place where Altantuya’s body was blown up. "We stopped in a jungle clearing and after looking around, Azilah led me into the jungle and told me: "This is the place where the Mongolian woman was blown up." "I then checked the area and found bone fragments believed to be that of human," said Koh. However he said it was not a full skeleton. "After this, he took me to a clearing about 30 feet away from the place where the body was blown up and told me this was where the (Mongolian) woman was shot," said Koh. He also told the court that the surrounding jungle foliage was withered. Koh said Azilah had told him that he would take him to the crime scene during an interview on the evening of Nov 6.

Following this Koh and his officers took Azilah in a police four-wheel drive and he led them to the crime scene. "He did not know the name of the place and was unsure of the location," he said. The team had gotten lost several times before they arrived at the scene at 6.50pm, he said. Koh said that although it was getting dark, he could still see and that later on, the headlights of the police vehicles were used to improve visibility. He said five minutes after Azilah had shown him around the crime scene, he saw a vehicle approching.
"It was ASP Tonny Lunggan and his team who were led to the place by Sirul," said Koh. "I then took Azilah back to the place where my vehicle was parked and watched while ASP Tonny and his team conducted their investigations," he said.

"It was only after ASP Tonny had completed his investigations that both the accused were allowed to meet," said Koh. He said the forensics team arrived later. "After this I secured the place and handed it over to ASP Tonny Lunggan," said Koh, adding he was at the scene until 8.45pm after which the forensics team could not continue their investigations as it was dark.
Azilah was brought back to IPK KL and was placed in the lock-up, he said.
"The next day ASP Zulkarnain and I interviewed Sirul at about 2pm," said Koh adding that Zulkarnain had read out a caution statement to Sirul first. He said during the questioning Sirul had provided some information on some jewellery belonging to the Mongolian woman (Altantuya). Koh said Sirul then led him, C/Insp Syawal and some D9 personnel to his flat on the fifth floor in Gugusan Semarak, Kota Damasara. "A UTK (Special Action Unit) personnel Sgt Rosli handed me the keys to Sirul’s apartment," said Koh who however could not confirm the set of keys produced in court was the same one which Rosli handed him. ASP Zulkarnain then entered the premises.

ABOVE: Sirul's Apartment entrance in Kota Damansara

ABOVE: The black jacket found at Sirul's Apartment and BELOW: Altantuya's valuables

"When in his bedroom, Sirul opened a wardrobe and showed us a black jacket," said Koh adding that ASP Zulkarnain then took out the jacket and placed it on the bed. "I also saw him remove a pair of earrings and a watch from pocket inside the jacket," he said. Koh said they continued to search the room and the rest of the house but did not find anything else. Koh identified the ring, the earring and the watch as the items seized from Sirul’s house.

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ABOVE & BELOW: Sirul looking left or right?

During examination in chief DPP Tun Majid Tun Hamzah asked Koh if Azilah was handcuffed when he was brought out of the lock-up and Koh said yes. Asked if Azilah was beaten up, spoken to in a harsh manner, if he was beaten, tortured, threatened and if any promised were made to him, Koh disagreed. Koh said he was assisted by two other personnel, C/Insp Kamarulzaman and C/Insp Jafri as they were more familiar with the case background, than he was as he (Koh) had just returned from his leave.
Hearing continues on Monday, when submissions will be heard to decide on when a trial-within-a-trial should be held at the re-examination level or before cross-examination of the the witness (Koh).The trial-within-a-trial is to decide on the admisability of the statement pertaining the accused leading the police to the scene of crime.
The court will decide whether to exclude it if it was made involuntarily.
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Defence objects to claims Azilah led cops to murder scene

ABOVE: The dirt road leading to the crime scene BELOW
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ABOVE & BELOW: Closer views of the explosive blasing scenes

SHAH ALAM (July 19, 2007): A defence lawyer today objected to a witness’ testimony that Chief Insp Azilah Hadri had led the police to the site where Altantuya Shariibuu was allegedly murdered. Azilah’s lawyer, Hazman Ahmad, raised the objection during the examination-in-chief of Chief Insp Koh Fei Cheow by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah.

Hazman called for a trial-within-a-trial to be held to determine if the testimony can be admitted as evidence.

Hazman: Objection. This statement comes under Section 27 (Evidence Act). Based on the Francis Anthonysamy case, the most appropriate way is for the court to exclude the evidence and it has to be done through a trial-within-a-trial.
Hazman’s co-counsel, J. Kuldeep Kumar, told judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin it was "an unfair statement".
Kuldeep: According to the Francis case, page 406 para 32, in the circumstances, it amounts to unfairness, and we ask for a trial-within-a-trial to be conducted.
Mohd Zaki: You read again this case during the lunch break and then you may re-submit.
Before that, Koh testified he was instructed to arrest Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar by Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK KL) serious crime division (D9) head Supt Zainol Samah at 3.40pm on Nov 6, 2006. He said Sirul Azhar was at the D9 information counter, and after introducing himself, he told Sirul Azhar he was under arrest and the reason for it, before asking him to hand over his belt, his handphone and his wallet. After making the arrest, Koh said, he lodged a report on the arrest of the Special Action Unit (UTK) personnel at IPK KL at 4.01pm and later handed over Sirul Azhar to a team from the D6 (Interrogation Division) based aint the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.

Koh said Sirul Azhar was then handed over to investigating officer ASP Tony Lunggan before he was sent back to the lock-up. He said at about 5.20pm, he was instructed by Lunggan to fetch Azilah from the lock-up as they wanted to look for the location where Altantuya was allegedly murdered.
Tun Abdul Majid: After fetching the first accused, did he provide any information or reveal anything?
Koh: Yes.
Tun Abdul Majid: Did you take any action based on the information?
Koh: Yes.

Tun Abdul Majid: What did you do?
Koh: I took the first accused and together with my team began to search for the incident site, based on what he disclosed.
Tun Abdul Majid: Can you state the steps taken by you, from the beginning to the end.

Koh: After getting the information at 5.26pm, I and my team and the first accused started our mission to search for the place. We left IPK KL in a Pajero (4WD) and headed to the area.
Tun Abdul Majid: At IPK KL, before leaving, who else was there?
Koh: Before leaving, I saw Supt Zainol Samah and informed him about our mission.
Earlier, Zainol continued with his testimony and Hazman continued with his cross-examination.
Asked who had instructed Azilah to go to the Brickfields police station, Zainol said he did not know. Hazman asked several other questions about Azilah’s arrest and the other subsequent arrests in relation to the case.

Zainol (ABOVE)either answered that he did not know or "unsure" and this agitated Hazman and the other defence lawyers who took turns to cross examine.
He also said there were five vehicles involved in the search for the murder site and they consisted, Koh’s team, the police vehicle carrying him, ASP Tony’s team, the IPK KL and Bukit Aman forensics team and DSP Gan’s team.
During re-examination Tun Abdul Majid, who was also perplexed with Zainol’s inability to recall his memory, asked him to explain why he had answered earlier that he did not know who had instructed Azilah to go to the Brickfields police station when Lunggan had told him that he will be taken to IPK KL after Azilah turned up at Brickfields.

Zainol said he did not understand the question properly.
Lawyer Wong Kian Kheong also grilled Zainol, who answered in the same manner, "can’t remember or don’t know" when asked if any investigations were undertaken following the submission of an affidavit by his client, Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda.
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ABOVE: The boxes of evidence on Day 22 Trial

July 19, 2007 22:33 PM
Azilah Not Abused, Beaten Or Encouraged During 'Interview'

SHAH ALAM, July 19 (Bernama) -- Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri was not beaten, abused, threatened, encouraged or promised something in an "interview" during which he allegedly disclosed the location where Altantuya Shaariibbu was shot and blown up.Chief Inspector Koh Fei Cheow, 38, from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters' major crime investigation division told this to the High Court here Thursday.He said Azilah was physically healthy and in "normal condition" when he and his two staff interviewed the first accused in the murder of the Mongolian woman at his office on Nov 6 last year.
When examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Koh said Azilah did not make any complaint to him or his two staff on the treatment received during the interview.
He said although Azilah and him were of the same rank, he was more senior than Azilah and during the interview, Azilah was handcuffed.
Tun Majid: "Did you hit him?"
Koh: "No."
Tun Majid: "Used rough language?"
Koh: "No".
Tun Majid: "Abused him?"
Koh: "No"
Koh said his two staff also did not encourage, give promise or threaten Azilah "because they were under my command" and they were present during the interview as "escorts and to assist him on the facts of the murder case because he had just returned from leave".
Asked whether the two staff knew about the facts of the case, he said: "More or less."
Tun Majid: "Did they suggest anything to the first accused about the case?"
Koh: "No."Tun Majid: "What do you mean by 'assisting'? What are their roles?"
Koh: "They conducted the interview on the location of the incident. I have no knowledge when, where or how it happened. That was why I asked the two staff to assist me on this matter."Koh said they did question Azilah but he did not remember the questions posed by them to Azilah
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What happened yesterday (Day 22)
> Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters special investigations unit head Supt Zainol Samah was cross-examined by the defence and re-examined by the prosecution;
> The next prosecution witness was Chief Insp Koh Fei Cheow of the Serious Crimes Investigation Division of IPK KL. He was the one who arrested both murder accused, and later went to the alleged crime scene; and
> The hearing resumes on Monday (July 23).

ABOVE & BELOW: Abdul Razak arriving on Day 22 Trial

BELOW: The hooded one could be either Azilah or Sirul

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July 19, 2007 18:13 PM
Azilah Points To Spot With Human Bones

SHAH ALAM, July 19 (Bernama) -- An investigating officer from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters Major Crime Division said he found what were believed to be human bones and bone fragments at an area pointed to him by Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri. Chief Inspector Koh Fei Cheow said the bones could be clearly seen among some undergrowth on a hill known as Puncak Niaga Empangan Tasik, Subang, Selangor.In his testimony in the High Court here Thursday, he said the discovery was made at 6.20pm on Nov 6 last year.

Koh said Azilah, also told him that the spot where the bones were found was also where a Mongolian woman (Altantuya's name was not mentioned) was blown up.

Azilah, the first accused in the Altantuya Shaariibuuu murder trial, also brought Koh to an open space about 30 feet (nine metres) away from the first spot, and he (Azilah) told him that this was where the Mongolian woman was shot earlier.He said policemen who brought Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar along arrived at the place five minutes later.
Azilah, 31, and Sirul Azhar, 36, both from Bukit Aman Police Action Squad, are charged with murdering interpreter and part-time model Altantuya, 28, at a location between Lot 12843 and Lot 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja, here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006.
Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting the two policemen in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19, 2006.