A chemist delved into the intricacies of DNA testing today at the High Court trial into the murder of a 28-year-old Mongolian woman.
J. Primulapathi, 54, head of the Forensic Division in the Petaling Jaya Chemistry Department, said he did not perform mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing to determine whether tissue specimens of the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, had been exposed to radiation.
He also said that he did not conduct similar tests on Altantuya’s DNA profile found on a ring, earrings and watch, and also a black jacket belonging to Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, one of the two persons charged with the murder of Altantuya.
Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, is the other person charged with the murder, alleged to have been committed at Lots 12843 and 16735 in the Mukim of Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.
Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47, is alleged to have abetted them.
Primulapathi, the 39th prosecution witness, said he did not do a mutation study but added that all the samples had the same mitochondrial sequence.
“If they were so exposed to radiation, they were all exposed together because the sequence is still the same. From my experience, I don’t think
they have been exposed,” he said on the 49th day of the trial.
When replying to a question from Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Noorin Badaruddin during re-examination, he said mutation did not occur at any stage of the experiment process, which would have shown complexities or inability to interpret the DNA profile.
Earlier, when cross-examined by Sirul Azhar’s defence counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, he said mutation was a change that occurred in one of the bases along the sequence and “sometimes A can change to a G or any one of the four bases”.
Kamarul Hisham: For example, the original sample contained one particular nucleotide, and then it may change within the same sample? Primulapathi, the 39th prosecution witness, said he did not do a mutation study but added that all the samples had the same mitochondrial sequence.
Primulapathi: Yes, but it occurs after a long period of time. What I mean, unless it is exposed to radiation, it will not change my own DNA but
the DNA may change down the line in my lineage. It will not change within the same sample.
Kamarul Hisham: If you note a difference in a nucleotide at a certain locus between the specimen and Andrews (example) sequence, would it be common to term it a mutation?
Primulapathi: It is not called a mutation. It is deviation from the Andrews sequence.
During the proceedings in the morning, DPP Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah said the 40th prosecution witness, Shaarii Desa, 40, of the criminalistic section of the Petaling Jaya Chemistry Department, had been admitted to hospital for dengue fever.
Shaarii was due to have testified today on the 70 exhibits received from investigating officer ASP Tonny Lunggan.
The hearing, before Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yassin, continues tomorrow.
