Truck sped away from where Amri’s car was found, says guard

KUALA LUMPUR: A security guard at the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School in Perlis claims to have seen a pickup truck speed away from the scene near where the car of missing social activist Amri Che Mat was later located.

Yousri Khalid, 48, said he and three colleagues saw the truck at the site from 11.30pm to midnight on Nov 24, 2016.

At the time, the four were at their guard post situated on a gentle slope.

“We shone our lights at the vehicle but the driver looked away while the other passengers lowered their heads. There were maybe four people in the vehicle.

“It rushed out and turned at the main road towards Kangar. We couldn’t catch the car’s number plate,” he told a Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry yesterday on Amri’s disappearance. They later found Amri’s car close to the site. A police observer, however, pointed out some discrepancies between Yousri’s testimony and a police report he lodged just after the incident.

The inquiry also heard that Amri, who was a forex trader, was declared bankrupt in March 2008.

Amri’s relative Annuar Ismail told the inquiry that Amri had paid the Insolvency Department a “lump sum” in 2013 or 2014 when his financial situation improved.

Annuar added that Amri had also settled many of his other debts during this period, although, he did owe a few individuals money, including about RM100,000 to “Major Fauzi”.

Annuar, who had been working with Amri since 2008, said forex trading had its share of profits and losses and that some of their investments ran into hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

“But I don’t think Amri’s disappearance was to do with money but rather, his work with Perlis Hope” he said, referring to the charity organisation co-founded by Amri in 2015.

Amri, who was also a mountain climber and member of the 1997 Mount Everest Malaysian expedition team – left his home at about 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016, in a black Toyota Fortuner.

His 4WD was later found near the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School with the windscreen smashed.

The inquiry is being held under Section 12(1) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act in connection with the disappearances of Amri, Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmi and his wife Ruth Sitepu.

Suhakam halted the inquiry into Koh last week as a suspect had been charged in court in relation to his case.