Deputy commander of the Special Action Squad, Mastor Mohamad Ariff leaving the Shah Alam High Court. (Pic taken from Star newspapers)
A close colleague of Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar told the High Court today that he sympathised with the corporal for being charged with the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Sgt Rosli Ibrahim, 36, from the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit, said he had known Sirul Azhar for 17 years as they were in the same squad when they joined the Royal Malaysia Police.
"Although I am close to Sirul Azhar and we help each other, I am not willing to lie in court to help him," he said when testifying in a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of Sirul Azhar's statement to interrogating officer ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin which led to the discovery of Altantuya's jewellery at his house at Kota Damansara.
Rosli was called to testify and to verify Sirul Azhar's contention that he was framed by the police. Sirul Azhar had claimed that he had been ordered by the police to identify the jewellery which had been placed in his black jacket.
Sirul Azhar, 36, and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, are accused of murdering Altantuya, 28, in 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.
Earlier, when examined by Sirul Azhar's counsel, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, Rosli said personnel from the serious crimes division (D9) of the Kuala Lumpur police were near the cupboard in Sirul Azhar's bedroom where the jacket with the jewellery in it was found.
He said the D9 personnel, whom he could not identify, were standing near the cupboard while Sirul Azhar was sitting on a chair at the dining table in the living room of the house and that the door to the bedroom was closed.
Rosli said he was also in the bedroom at that time on the instruction of his superior, Mastor Mohamad Ariff,deputy commander of the elite Special Action Squad (UTK), to check whether there were any properties belonging to the police.
There were a few, including a piece of fire-proof clothing, two pieces of chemical-proof clothing and a bag containing, among others, elbow pad, knee guard and half harness, he said.
Rosli also answered to questions on Sirul Azhar's background posed by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, who challenged Rosli's credibility as a witness. He tried to prove that he (Rosli) had vested interests because the accused was his close friend.
In response to Tun Abdul Majid's question, Rosli said that after Mastor gave him the keys, he placed them on a tray on Sirul Azhar's table in his office.
Tun Abdul Majid: There are many keys. Is there a key-chain?
Rosli: Yes. A small plastic key-chain. Green and written the house number.
Tun Abdul Majid: Do you know the house number?
Rosli: I can't remember.
Tun Abdul Majid: When was the second time you saw the keys?
Rosli: The next day. After I reached the office and entered my room about 7.30am.
Rosli also admitted to having left the keys on the tray that day until 2pm before handing them to Koh at Sirul Azhar's house.
Tun Abdul Majid: From 7.30am when you arrived at the office until 2pm, were you in your room?
Rosli: Not all the time
Tun Abdul Majid: When were you alone?
Rosli: It is a sharing room. Six people have the keys to the room.
Rosli said he left his office at 2pm on that day after taking the keys and placing them in his pocket and then handed them to Koh at Sirul Azhar's house.
He disagreed when it was put to him that he could not say if there were 10 or more keys in the bunch and whether they were seasoned or new because he did not really look at them.
The hearing entered its 34th day today.
