1 week Ago By Dawn Chan
KUALA LUMPUR: A police sergeant who was part of a team that raided a car belonging to Muhammed Yusoff Rawther in Bukit Kiara last year has denied receiving specific intelligence intended to trap the former assistant researcher with drug-related offences and possession of fake firearms.Sergeant Chong Choon Khen, 46, from the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPKKL) Special Investigation Division, confirmed that he was briefed on the operation codenamed Ops Laras by senior officer Inspector Wan Muhammad Wan Ali on Sept 6 last year.Chong, the seventh prosecution witness, said he and his four colleagues led by Wan Muhammad arrived at the roadside of Senada Condominium at about 7.
20am.They had staked out for two hours before they spotted a man, later identified as Yusoff, approaching a Nissan Teana wanting to open the door with the key fob.Cross examined by defence lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, Chong disagreed that Wan Muhammad had given specific orders from the information received from a source.
Rafique: You heard the information from Wan Muhammad on a dark blue Nissan Teana with the number plate PMH6391, do you agree?Chong: I agree.Rafique: There were pistols in the car.Chong: I agree.
Rafique: Do you agree that there were already targets - the type of car, number plate, there were pistols, (this) means the information in the briefing was specific.Chong: I disagree.Re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat Amadan, Chong said no information received on Ops Laras was categorised as specific.
"It is just information, and there is no category of specific or non-specific."Nothing is categorised as specific unless the raid is successful."If the information received is unsuccessful, then it (raid) is unsuccessful," he said.
Rafique had asked Chong, who has been in the force for 22 years, with four years in the criminal division, if he knew about syndicates or groups having various modus operandi to carry out crimes.This was objected by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman, who said it was not relevant to Chong, who was only involved in the raid and the question should be posed to the investigating officer.To this, Rafique said it was relevant because he would be putting in a defence that involves cars.
"I want to stress that this is a planted case, by way of the doors, not pried open but by a frequency system used to disable the doors from opening."The system is available in the country. I want to put in documents to prove there is a system that can be bought online to jam the frequency of the car system, which allows it to be tampered with," he said.
Earlier, Chong said Wan Muhammad had ordered him to hold and guard Yusoff from behind after seeing him going near his car."Wan Muhammad had asked me to handcuff Yusoff, and I did so. Wan Muhammad said there were pistols after he conducted checks in the car," he said.
Chong said he was acting on the orders of Wan Muhammad to handcuff Yusoff, who had said the black bag containing the pistols was not his."I did not care what he (Yusoff) said. I handcuffed him after Wan Muhammad gave me the order.
I continued with my duties," he said.The trial before High Court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues.Yusoff was charged with trafficking 305 grammes of cannabis found in the vehicle he was in near the surau at the IPKKL at 10.
15am on Sept 6, 2024.Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and at least 12 strokes of the rotan upon conviction.He was also charged with possession of two fake firearms near a condominium on Jalan Bukit Kiara at 9.
25am on Sept 6, 2024.Section 36(1) of the Firearms Act provides for a maximum penalty of one year in prison or a fine not exceeding RM5,000, or both upon conviction.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
