Defence witness DSP Yusri Hasan Basri explained today that he was nervous and trembling when testifying in court yesterday, which resulted in contradictions between his testimony and his statement given to the police.
According to the 33-year-old Special Action Squad (UTK) senior officer, he felt that way because it was the first time in his 16 years with the police force that he had to testify in court and in a high-profile case at that.
Yusri added that he became more nervous after Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah made a gesture to him during a break in the proceedings that he (Abdul Majid) was going to “get at him” him in court.
Yusri explained to Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin that he had spoken the truth in his testimony in court yesterday.
He said that when he gave his statement to ASP Tonny Lunggan on Nov 7 last year, he could not remember much of what had happened at Sirul’s house because of
the nine-month time lapse.
DSP Yusri Hasan Basri was testifying in a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether a statement allegedly made by accused Corporal Sirul Azhar (above) which led to the discovery of Altantuya’s jewellery at his apartment is admissible in court.
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The court had heard earlier that police found the jewellery in a jacket of Sirul in a cupboard in his bedroom. The police went to Sirul’s apartment in Kota Damansara on Nov 7 last year after getting information from Sirul on the jewellery.
Sirul had denied having disclosed information to the police on the discovery of the jewellery and had said that he was directed by police to show the jewellery to be photographed.
The prosecution has filed for an impeachment against Yusri, citing four instances of contradiction between his testimony yesterday and the statement he had given to investigating officer ASP Tonny Lunggan on Aug 2 and 3 this year.
Yusri was testifying in a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether a statement allegedly made by accused Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar which led to the discovery of Altantuya’s jewellery at his apartment is admissible in court.
