SB officer denies claims by missing activist’s wife

KUALA LUMPUR: A Special Branch officer from Perlis said he met the wife of missing activist Amri Che Mat to enquire about renting a shoplot.

Sjn Mohd Shamzaini Mohd Daud denied allegations by Norhayati Mohd Ariffin who claimed previously that he told her of police involvement in Amri’s abduction.

“I strongly deny her allegations,” he said in a Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry yesterday on the disappear- ance of Amri.

In her police report lodged at the Shah Alam police station on May 15, Norhayati claimed that Sjn Mohd Shamzaini told her that a Bukit Aman team was responsible for the abduction of her husband and that of Pastor Raymond Koh.

Sjn Mohd Shamzaini, 38, said he met Norhayati briefly on the morning of May 12 before meeting her for about two hours later that same night.

He lodged a police report on May 18 against Norhayati’s allegations, adding that he was not pressured by anyone to do so.

He said Norhayati’s allegations had negative implications on his image, career and on the police force. He also claimed that he did not know at first that Norhayati was the wife of Amri.

He said that during their meeting, Norhayati accused him of trying to dig information about her.

He said Norhayati mentioned several names including that of high-ranking police officers, claiming that they were involved in her husband’s abduction.

Amri, who co-founded the organisation Perlis Hope, left his home in Kangar at about 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016, in his SUV.

His car was later found at the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School in the wee hours of the following day.

Amri was a mountain climber who was part of the 1997 Mount Everest Malaysian expedition team.

Norhayati and Amri were married in 1997 and have four daughters aged between 11 and 19.

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

The panel of inquiry consists of commissioners Datuk Mah Weng Kwai as chairman, Prof Datuk Dr Aishah Bidin, and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.