The DNA test confirming that the tissue and bone samples found in a forest area in Puncak Alam belonged to a Mongolian woman who is the daughter of Setev Shaariibuu and Altentsetseg Sanjaa, was a complete, conclusive and accurate result, the High Court here heard today.
Sirul Azhar hanging his head while being led to court. He is one of the accused in the trial for the murder of Mongolian model, Altantuya Shaariibuu. Photo credit: Sin Chew Daily.
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Chemist Primulapathi a/l Jaya Krishnan said although the DNA analysis to identify the origin of the tissue and bone specimens was not conducted using the Mongolian population database, it was carried out using a database available in the laboratory with international database as a guideline.
The Chemistry Department did not have the Mongolian database, he said, adding that the DNA analysis was done using the Malay, Indian and Chinese population database following international guidelines.
However, Primulapathi, who is the director of the Forensic Division of the Petaling Jaya Chemistry Department, said that although the pattern of alleles in a Mongolian population would differ from that of a Malaysian, the DNA finding using the international database as a guideline was accurate on its own.
He was testifying on the 47th day of the trial of two policemen from the Special Force Squad, Azilah Hadri, 31 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, charged with murdering Mongolian, Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28, in Mukim Bukit Raja here betweem 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.
Political analyst Abdul Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, between 9.54 am, Oct 18 last year and 9.45pm, Oct 19 last year.
Questioned by Azilah's counsel, J.Kuldeep Kumar, Primulapathi said the population database was only for determining the probability of the parentage match and the statistical result was added to the match to show the strength of the findings.
Kuldeep: Do you agree that without comparative comparison with the Mongolian population database, your findings may be inconclusive?
Primulapathi: I don't agree. If the DNA is a match, then it's a match. The population database is only for calculating the probability of the match. It does not say that it's a match.
Kuldeep: What is the purpose of reference to probability if the match
is already there?
Primulapathi: To add strength to the match. If I simply say it's a match, there may not be weight without the figures. That is why we add statistical result to the match, to show the greatness of the match.
Kuldeep: if it's just the match alone, then there is no strength to the finding.
Primulapathi: The public views that when there is a figure, it adds greatness to it. There is a debate among scientists as to whether to report the percentage probability as DNA match is accurate enough on its own.
Primulapathi denied that there was a possibility of contamination in the DNA results because of a "mix up" in the exhibits in the laboratory as there were four chemists and one laboratory assistant assisting in the DNA analysis.
"No, not in my lab. It never happens because we open the exhibits one at a time so there is no way there could be a mix up," he said, adding that he would know if there was contamination as the final result of the test would show traces of contamination.
He said he personally handled the DNA testing for this case and was assisted by his staff who were always under his supervision.
Primulapathi was also grilled by the defence on why he did not conduct tests on four of the bone exhibits handed to him by the police.
He said he did not carry out analysis on specimens of a cervical spine bone, a piece of "tulang punggung", a piece of pelvic bone and a piece of skeletal bone as it was not necessary because he had already obtained a DNA profile on the specimen of a piece of skull bone.
He said he chose to conduct tests on selected samples as all of the samples came from the same crime scene.
Asked whether he agreed that there was still a possibility for another DNA profile to be found on the bones, he said it was possible, but not probable.
Cross-examined by Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, counsel for Sirul Azhar, Primulapathi said he could not determine the user of Sirul Azhar's black jacket as the swab taken from inside the jacket did not match blood from Sirul Azhar but matched Altantuya's blood.
He also said that he had carried out a presumptive test called the Kastle-Mayer test on the stains on Sirul Azhar's slippers to determine that it was blood but he did not analyse fingerprints on the slippers.
Primulapathi agreed that he could not tell from his analysis when the stains were deposited on the slippers.
The hearing before Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin continues tomorrow.
