PRESENT POINT POWER

UPDATE: Day 25 Jul 25 07

ABOVE: An artist impression of the Court on Day 25 Trial on Jul 25 07

ABOVE & BELOW: Malaysiakini Headline story for the Day 25 Trial, get a subscription and read more Here

and the evening report, Details H E R E by Subscription

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1. You're lying, counsel tells officer

2 .Azilah said he didn't like to lie: Witness
Maria J. Dass; Sun
SHAH ALAM (July 25, 2007): The Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial grew tense today when defence counsel Hazman Ahmad accused prosecution witness DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad of lying.
He suggestted that Zainudin had deliberately tried to suppress evidence by not recording the details of his visit to the alleged crime scene in his investigation diary and official diary.
During cross-examination, Hazman asked Zainudin if he had made or received any phone calls while on the way to the scene in Puncak Alam from the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters (IPK KL).

Zainudin:(ABOVE) I do not remember receiving any calls but I remember making a call to my detective L/Cpl Jana (D. Janagaran Balasubramanian) to tell him I will not be coming into office as I was following Chief Insp Koh (Fei Cheow) to the crime scene.
Hazman: You only made one call. I will provide evidence that you had made and received calls.
Zainudin: As far as I remember, I only made one call to L/Cpl Jana.

Hazman (in a raised voice): I say you are lying beause Jana was at the crime scene on that day.
Zainudin: I did not notice and I don't know.
Hazman: The whole investigation team was at the scene, including Jana.
Zainudin: I did not notice.
Hazman then went on to suggest that Zainudin and Koh had made and received calls to obtain directions to the crime scene, which Zainuddin refuted.
Later, Hazman asked if Zainudin had noted down the details during the visit to the scene and asked if he knew that he may be called as a witness, especially in a high-profile case such as this.
Zainudin said he did not do so because he was not conducting any investigation at the scene but merely accompanying Koh so he could get a clearer picture.
When questioning Zainudin, Hazman suggested he had been careless by failing to record what happened at the alleged crime scene.
Hazman: In a case like this, failure to record important issues can be considered a breach of discipline.
Zainudin: I agree.
Hazman: Your failure to record in the book was to suppress evidence.
Zainudin: I don't agree.
Hazman: You were careless in this matter, agree?'
Zainudin: Agree.
Hazman: You are the highest ranking officer in the interrogation department, agree?
Zainudin: Agree.
Hazman: And for nine months (after the alleged murder was discovered) you did not keep a note book?
Zainudin: I don't remember where I put it. I can look for it.
Hazman: You don't remember where you kept a note book involving a case as big as this?
Zainudin: True.

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During re-examination, DPP Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah asked Zainudin on the need for an investigation diary when he only visited the scene and Zainudin said he did not conduct any investigation there.

Zainudin also agreed that he did not need an investigation diary since he was not doing an investigation at the scene. He also said Azilah was not threatened or mentally tortured as suggested by Hazman earlier.

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2 Azilah said he didn't like to lie: Witness
SHAH ALAM (July 25, 2007): A police officer told the High Court here today that murder accused Chief Insp Azilah Hadri had told him he did not like to lie.
DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad, the 21st witness, said Azilah had said this during the time he was interrogated over five days.
Zainudin, 52, head of the interrogation unit at the Bukit Aman police headquarters, gave this reply under cross-examination by Azilah's counsel, Hazman Ahmad, when the lawyer asked him what Azilah hated most.

Zainudin (ABOVE) said Azilah had also told him Azilah was an intelligent person and that he liked to fast and that he had fasted even in detention.
He said Azilah, who hails from Sarikei, Sarawak, also liked to enjoy himself and go window-shopping.
Under re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Zainudin said that during his "interview", Azilah had stated his desire to show the place where Altantuya was murdered rather reluctantly.
Earlier, under cross-examination, he said Azilah had said he was happy to discharge his duty because he could travel overseas often.
Zainudin said Azilah, who was from a poor family, admitted to him he had a girlfriend who worked at the D7 Branch at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters.
"Azilah often referred to his girlfriend as Ani," Zainudin said.
Azilah's girlfriend, L/Cpl Rohaniza Roslan, had also testified in the trial.
Zainudin denied that Azilah had informed him he had another girlfriend whose name was Azila, almost resembling Azilah's name.
He said that after completing school, Azilah worked in Johor before joining the police force.He said Azilah first served as a crime investigation officer at the Sepang district police headquarters for five years before he was absorbed into the Special Action Unit (UTK).
Zainudin said Azilah told him his job at the UTK was to escort the prime minister and deputy prime minister and do other escort duty.Hazman: He (Azilah) told you he only did escort duty? What about other duties?
Zainudin: I was told only that.
Zainudin said Azilah had told him he had many siblings and both his parents had relocated from Sarikei to Sepang, Selangor. He said he told him his parents were old and no longer worked.
"He also told me he had an adopted child," said Zainudin, adding that Azilah did not tell him the age and gender of the child but that the child was still young.
Zainudin also said he did not know what special skills Azilah had acquired in the UTK, reports Malaysia's national news agency Bernama.

What happened today (Day 25)
· Head of the interrogation unit at Bukit Aman police headquarters DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad, continues his testimony. He will take the stand again tomorrow.

= = == == = == = Bernama’s account

July 25, 2007 23:31 PM

I Did Not See Any Traces Of Murder, Says Senior Policeman

SHAH ALAM, July 25 (Bernama) -- DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad told the High Court here today that he did not see any traces of murder when he was at the place where Altantuya Shaariibu was allegedly killed. The 52-year-old interrogation branch head of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department said that he went there on Nov 6 last year, he only stood next to a four-wheel-drive vehicle parked in a clearing.

The 21st prosecution witness in the trial for the Mongolian woman's murder, also said he did not follow Chief Inspector Koh Fei Cheow who went to a bushy area with Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and several police officers. Azilah, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, are accused of murdering Altantuya, 28, at lots 12843 and 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja between 10pm on Oct 19, last year and 1am the next day. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47, is alleged to have abetted the two Special Action Squad (UTK) personnel in the murder at between 9.54am on Oct 18 last year and 9.45pm the next day in Kuala Lumpur.

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Azilah Said He Does Not Like To Lie, Witness Tells Court

SHAH ALAM, July 25 (Bernama) -- A police officer told the High Court here Wednesday that Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, on trial for the murder of a Mongolian woman, had told him that he did not like to lie. DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad, the 21st witness in the case, said Azilah had said this during the time he was interrogated over five days.
Zainudin, 52, head of the interrogation unit at Bukit Aman police headquarters, gave this reply under cross-examination by Azilah's counsel Hazman Ahmad when the lawyer asked him what Azilah hated most.

ABOVE: The hooded accused (Azilah & Sirul) arriving in court on Day 25 Trial

Azilah, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, both of the Bukit Aman Special Action Force, are charged with the murder of the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28, at a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja, between 10 pm on Oct 19 and 1 am on Oct 20 last year. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47 (BELOW), is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur between 9.54 am on Oct 18 and 9.45 pm on Oct 19 last year.

BELOW: Abdul Razak Baginda, the 3rd accused arriving in court on Day 25 Trial
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ABOVE: Abdul Razak Father as seen on Day 25 Trial. A sad and disappointed man in the evening of his life that he has to endure this trial ordeal of his son

Zainudin also told the court that Azilah had also told him that he (Azilah) was an intelligent person and that he liked to fast and that he had fasted even in detention.
He said Azilah, who hails from Sarikei, Sarawak, also liked to enjoy himself and go window shopping.
Under re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Zainudin said that during his "interview" Azilah had stated his desire to show the place where Altantuya was murdered rather reluctantly.
Earlier, under cross-examination, he said Azilah had said he was happy to discharge his duty because he could often go overseas.
Zainudin said Azilah, who was from a poor family, admitted to him that he had a fiancee who then worked at the D7 Branch at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters.
"Azilah often referred to his fiancee as Ani," Zainudin said when questioned by counsel Hazman.
Azilah's fiancee Lance Corporal Rohaniza Roslan had also testified in the trial.

Zainudin denied that Azilah had informed him that he (Azilah) had another girlfriend whose name was Azila, almost resembling his (Azilah's) name. He said that after completing school, Azilah worked in Johor before joining the police force.

He said Azilah first served as a crime investigation officer at the Sepang district police headquarters for five years before he was absorbed into the Special Action Force.
Zainudin said Azilah informed him that his job at the Special Action Force was to escort the prime minister and deputy prime minister and do other escort duty. Hazman: He (Azilah) told you he only did escort duty? What about other duties?
Zainudin: I was told only that.
Zainudin said Azilah had told him he had many siblings and both his parents had relocated from Sarikei to Sepang, Selangor. He said he told him his parents were old and no longer worked.

= = == =Watch Video Clip, 1min 34 s - Day 25 Trial

= = = = == == = == = = == = = == = =Below Day 24 Trial on 24^th Jul 07

ABOVE & BELOW: Malaysiakini Headline story for the Day 24 Trial, get a subscription and read more or Wait and read it here

Details H E R E

and BELOW, Updated one

Details H E R E
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1. I used 'soft' approach, says DSP

2 Koh denies accused made to pose
R.Surenthira Kumar and Maria J.Dass, from SUN

DAY 24
SHAH ALAM (July 24, 2007): The police interrogation officer who knew Chief Insp Azilah Hadri before Azilah's arrest told the court his interrogation technique used the "psychological approach". DSP Zainuddin Abdul Samah, 52 (ABOVE), head of the Interrogation Division at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, said he would ask suspects being interrogated to tell the truth and it would be done in a soft manner. Replying to Azilah's lawyer, Hazman Ahmad, during cross-examination, Zainuddin, who admitted he had not undergone any courses on interrogation, said his work was based on his experience as an investigating officer. Zainuddin had said during examination-in-chief earlier that he knew Azilah as both of them had worked in the same place in Penang.

He had interrogated Azilah from Nov 2 to Nov 6 in the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK KL) and had continued to interrogate him from Nov 7 after Azilah was taken to Bukit Aman for further interrogation. Zainuddin said he would start the interrogation by asking a suspect under interrogation about his personal details, such as name, age, place of birth and also family background and activities he had taken part in, including whether he was involved in politics.

Hazman: During an interrogation, from your experience as an investigating officer (IO), how do the other IOs carry out their interrogations? Do you know?
Zainuddin: I don't know.
Hazman: There are a lot of things that you don't know. In an interrogation, do you agree, besides the approach taken by you, are interrogations carried out in a physical manner?
Zainuddin: I am not aware of that.
Hazman: Do you agree, besides physically, interrogations are carried out psyshologically?
Zainuddin: Agree.
Hazman: How do you carry out interrogations psychologically?
Zainuddin: We respect the suspects and ask them to speak the truth, after getting to know them in-depth.
Hazman: Can you explain how you do that?
Zainuddin: We start by getting to know them and their background. We obtain every detail about the suspect, any anything about his family background and relationship and his likes and dislikes.
Hazman: That's all?
Zainuddin: Yes.
Hazman: When you said 'tell the truth', what do you mean?
Zainuddin: We ask the suspect to tell what had happened and that the truth be spoken without hiding anything.
Hazman: These are all criminals (pointing to the dock, where his client is seated with the two other accused), they killed, shot and blew up people and you want to obtain the truth by just asking them to tell the truth?

Hazman then sought an adjournment and said he will continue with his cross-examination tomorrow.
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Before that, during the examination-in-chief of the witness by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Zainuddin said he went with the police team which took Azilah to the crime scene.
He said Azilah told him on Nov 6, between 3.35pm and 3.40pm, that he could show the probable location of the crime scene.
Zainuddin said he informed the investigating officer, ASP Tony Lunggan, about the matter.
After that, Zainuddin said, Chief Insp Koh Fei Cheow together with his team wanted to take Azilah to the crime scene and he joined the group as he wanted to see the location.
Zainuddin said Koh's team arrived at the location first, after losing its way in the beginning, and Lunggan's team arrived with Sirul Azhar after that.
Zainuddin said he returned to IPK KL by hitching a ride in one of his men's car and did not stay back with Koh and Lunggan's teams as he was only concerned about seeing the location of the crime scene.
He also told Tun Abdul Majid, another team, headed by Chief Insp Kamarulzaman Othman, interrogated Sirul Azhar but he did not know the outcome of the interrogation because Kamarulzaman dealt directly with Lunggan.
The trial resumes tomorrow.
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Koh denies accused made to pose

SHAH ALAM (July 24, 2007): A police officer denied in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial today that accused Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar had been made to pose for photographs that showed him pointing to a black jacket in his cupboard which contained jewellery belonging to Altantuya. Chief Insp Koh Fei Cheow, of the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK KL) Serious Crimes Division, denied suggestions that second accused in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial Sirul, 36, had been made to pose for photographs that showed him pointing to a black jacket in his cupboard which contained jewellery belonging to Altantuya. Koh denied the suggestions during cross examination by Sirul's counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin.

Kamarul(ABOVE): We were told that when you reached Sirul's apartment, he was asked to wait in the living area while you and two accompanying officers entered his (Sirul's) room and shut the door for 15 minutes without him in the room.
Koh: Disagree.
Kamarul: Do you agree that after 15 minutes, Sirul was called into the room and asked to hold his jacket while a photograph of this pose was captured, and following this he was asked to point to the items recovered from the jacket so that a picture of this could be captured also.
Koh: Disagree.
He said ASP Zulkarnain was the one who gave the instructions for the photos to be taken, but he could not remember who the photographer was.
Kamarul also grilled Koh on why he did not record any direct or indirect speech on a confession by Sirul although he had meticulously recorded earlier details.
During re-examination DPP Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah asked Koh what he meant when he told first accused Azilah Hadri's counsel Kuldeep Kumar yesterday that there was a possibility that Azilah did not know where the crime scene was.

"I said that because Azilah had told me that he was unsure of the location," said Koh.

Tun Abdul Majid also queried Koh on the alleged conversation between DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad from the Bukit Aman interrogation unit which was raised by Kuldeep yesterday.
Koh said that he was with Zainudin and Azilah all the time but he did not hear any conversation.
Asked why he had replied that he "did not know" if Zainudin had scolded Azilah when the accused told him that he did not know this place, Koh said: "I meant that I did not hear such conversation between them."
He said the duo was within earshot at all times.

Tun Abdul Majid also asked Koh about his statement yesterday that he had not made any statement on a leading discovery in his report. Koh replied that this was because he had done so in his 112 statement and investigation diary.
"The report was general, and the 112 statement is more detailed," he said.
What Happened Today (Day 24)
* Chief Insp Koh Fei Cheow, of the KL Serious Crimes Division, cross-examined by Sirul Azhar's counsel, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin.
* Lead prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah re-examined Koh.
* DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad, of the Bukit Aman interrogation unit, recalled by prosecution.

= = == = == = == = = =and from Bernama

July 24, 2007 16:07 PM

Witness Says Police Did Not Enter Room Before Sirul

SHAH ALAM, July 24 (Bernama) -- A police officer who took Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar to his house for investigation in the Altantuya Shaariibu murder today denied that Sirul Azhar was left in the hall for 15 minutes before being taken into a bedroom where the Mongolian's belongings were found. Chief Insp Koh Fei Chew, 38, of the Kuala Lumpur Police Serious Crime Division also denied that during those 15 minutes he and his men were in the room behind closed doors without Siru Azhar, the second accused.

He also did not instruct Sirul Azhar to hold a black jacket from a cupboard in the bedroom for a photographer to take a snapshot not did he ask Sirul Azhar to point to items placed on the jacket for the photo to bde taken.He made the denial under cross-examination by Sirul Azhar's counsel, Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin, in the High Court.

In his testimony last Thursday Koh said jewellery and a watch belonging to Altantuya were found in an inner pocket of a black jacket kept in a cupbourad in the two-room flat occupied by Sirul Azhar. Koh, the prosecution's 20th witness, was testifying at the trial of Sirul Azhar, 36, and Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, both of the Bukit Aman Special Action Force, charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19 last year. Koh said all the photos taken at the house including the ones on Sirul Azilah holding the jacket and pointing to Altantuya's jewellery were taken on the instruction of ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin.

He said Sirul Azhar led him and several policemen to his flat in Jalan Camar, 4/1 Gugusan Semarak, Section 4, Kota Damansara, Selangor, on Nov 7 last year after making a confession during an interrogation. Questioned on the contradictions between the investigation notes and the police report on the discovery of the crime scene which was made on Nov 6 last year when Koh and his team took Azilah to the scene, Koh said the investigation notes he made at the scene contained Azilah's words in indirect speech. He said he was a meticulous person and the notes regarding time which he made throughout the investigation were accurate, including the time Azilah revealed the information at 5.23pm, the meeting at the scene at 6.50pm and handing over of Sirul Azhar to the investigating officer at 4.05pm on Nov 6 last year.
Under re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Koh said his testimony yesterday that Azilah might not have known the scene of the crime meant that Azilah did not know the exact location.
Tun Abdul Majid: That's why you lost the way several times?
Koh: Yes.
Asked why he recorded Azilah's words in indirect speech and not verbatim, he said that to him, the recordings in indirect speech were sufficient.