“It is my phone number. I have been using it over the past seven years and it is still mine,” said TV3 newscaster Mohd Izwan Azir Mohad Saleh in the trial for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu today.
TV3 newscaster Mohd Izwan Azir Mohad Saleh's phone number that was said to have been used by political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda (above photo) to contact C/Insp Azilah Hadri. |
He was called to the witness stand to explain a confusion over his phone number that was said to have been used by political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda to contact C/Insp Azilah Hadri.
Azilah, 31 and another operative of the police’s Special Action Unit, Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, are alleged to have murdered the 28-year-old Mongolian woman while Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them.
Izwan, 26, said the police had never seized his handphone or his SIM card for investigation into the murder allegedly committed in a jungle in Bukit Raja between 10pm on Oct 19 last year and 1am the following day.
The newscaster also told the High Court that only yesterday he knew of a number the same as his was used in transactions linked to the case.
Two weeks ago, the 52nd prosecution witness — CyberSecurity Malaysia forensic digital head Aswami Fadillah Mohd Ariffin — said the number was Razak’s and it was used in several phone coversations with Azilah from Oct 18 to 28.
During the examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin on the 62nd day of trial, Izwan did not deny that he had known Azilah since late 2005.
He also said he met Azilah a day before Altantuya was alleged murdered.
“I called Azilah on Oct 18, 2006. I invited him to a breaking of fast and called him at about 6.14pm to say that I would be quite late because of heavy rain,” he said.
Izwan said that he then met Azilah at the Seri Melayu Restaurant in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur.
After that, they went to the police’s senior officers mess in Bukit Aman for a karaoke session for an hour before leaving for home, he said.
After that day, he did not see Azilah but they kept on contacting each other over the phone using the same number, said Izwan — the 57th prosecution witness.
Earlier, when asked whether he knew Azilah’s phone number and kept it in his handphone, Izwan said: “Yes. I keep it under the name Adi UTK.”
He also told the court that he had replaced his prepaid SIM card, which he had been using since he was studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia, with a 3G SIM card.
The old card was kept by Maxis, he added.
He confirmed that the line was still his based on his address, identity card number, email and name stored in Maxis’ system.
During the cross-examination, Azilah’s lawyer — Datuk Hazman Ahmad — asked Izwan what happened when investigation officer ASP Tonny Lunggan questioned him this morning.
He replied: “He asked many questions. Among them were when I bought the SIM card, my connections with Azilah and Razak, whether I know anything about Altantuya and on the breaking of fast on Oct 18 last year.”
Asked by Razak’s lawyer, Wong Kian Kheong, whether Izwan knew his client as a friend or colleague, the witness said: “Don’t know.”
He also said that he had never known or contacted Altantuya.
Meanwhile, the 56th prosecution witness — Maxis administrative executive in the security division Regina Arokiam — said the phone log provided by CyberSecurity Malaysia, which contained transactions under Razak’s name, was not accurate compared to that issued by her.
In re-examination by Noorin, however, she said: “Maxis does not know who used the line. It only knows who registered the line.”
She also said that she had never received any written or verbal request from CyberSecurity Malaysia in matters relating to the case.
Today’s proceeding also saw the police’s forensic lab CSI unit head in Bukit Aman, Supt Amidon Anan, 56, taking the witness stand.
He will continue with his evidence before Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin tomorrow.
