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'Policemen thought explosions were fireworks'

'Policemen thought explosions were fireworks'

Thursday, 15 May 2008 07:45pm

• Cops heard explosions, says witness
• Cop: I didn’t probe all angles
• Sound of bomb explosion difficult to distinguish from exploding crackers

©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Maria J. Dass

SHAH ALAM (May 15, 2008): The two auxiliary policemen on duty at Empangan Tasik Subang, which covers the area where Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006, did not notice any outward incidents at that time as it was the festive season and there were a lot of fireworks.

Investigating officer ASP Tonny Lunggan told the court the two policemen on duty that night, Abdul Raimy Abdul Razak and Mustafa Umat, said they had heard a few explosions that night which they dismissed as fireworks as it was a festive season.

Both the policemen are in the prosecution's witness list but have not been called to testify.

Tonny said this in response to a question from first accused C/Insp Azilah Hadri’s lawyer Datuk Hazman Ahmad, who questioned him on whether the two policemen who were on duty at a nearby police beat base would have heard the explosion.

Tonny had earlier disagreed with Hazman that people would have heard the explosion and felt the tremors.

Hazman: You don't agree even though the forensic officials testified that these were high explosives.

Tonny: Because this incident took place during the Deepavali or Hari Raya festivals and both policemen said they had heard a lot of fireworks explosions.

Hazman: Is the sound of fireworks the same as the sound of a bomb exploding, ASP Tonny?

Tonny: To me, the sound of firecrackers and bombs exploding is more or less the same.

Earlier, Tonny said he knew there was a police beat base and two policemen patrolling the Empangan Tasik Subang area between 8pm and 8am the next morning, followed by another two officers who took over from 8am to 8pm, but he did not know their exact location or how far the beat base was from the crime scene.

Tonny said he did not question the two policemen and left it to another officer, but did not leave instructions for questions on the explosions, tremors, light or unusual activity to be asked.

He however agreed with Hazman that from the questions put to him during the trial, this was important.

Earlier, Tonny told the court that he did not know that Azilah had contacted DSP Idris Harun for assistance, including the installation of a police box outside third accused Abdul Razak Baginda's home and for more police patrol in the area.

He said he knew that DSP Musa Safri had brought Abdul Razak to meet Harun pertaining the police report that Abdul Razak had lodged.

Tonny said he had asked ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin to take down a statement from Musa but added that he did not remember the contents of the statement as there were more than 120 statements recorded for this case.

Tonny told the court he did not investigate the items and belonging that Altantuya had left behind in her hotel room as he felt this was not important.

He said the items were left in the care of the victim’s cousin and friend.

Tonny also told the court there was no prior relationship between the victim and Azilah prior to the day of her disappearance and that the latter’s name was never mentioned in the police report lodged by Altantuya in which she indicated that she feared for her life.

Azilah, a police Special Action Squad personnel, and his colleague Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar are charged with murdering Altantuya in a jungle clearing in Mukim Bukit Raja between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006. Abdul Razak is charged with abetting the duo.