'Mokhtar's inclusion in Koh, Amri task force won't affect probe'

Royal Malaysian Police Legal Unit chief Mokhtar Mohd Noor’s inclusion in the task force to investigate the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and social activist Amri Che Mat will not affect the credibility of the investigation.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said during the Suhakam hearing into their disappearances, Mokhtar had attended only one session and was not directly involved in it.

“I am confident it (his inclusion) will not compromise the task force. I was informed that he (Mokhtar) was involved in only one session during the (Suhakam) hearing.

“Nothing more than that […] he alone cannot have a major influence (in the investigation) as the task force has many members. Furthermore, a former High Court judge (Rahim Uda) is heading it (task force),” he told a media conference at Registrar of Societies’ (RoS) “Sustainable Societies” programme in Kuala Lumpur today.

Muhyiddin was commenting Koh and Amri’s families concern about the composition of the task force.

Last Wednesday, Muhyiddin announced that Abdul Rahim will lead a six-man special task force to investigate Koh and Amri’s disappearances.

In addition to Mokhtar, the rest of the task force members are Zamri Yahya, who is Bukit Aman's Integrity and Standard Compliance Department director, Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC)) operations director Muhammad Bukhari Abdul Hamid, Legal Officer at the Public Prosecution Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers Mohd Sophian Zakaria and Mohd Russaini Idrus, secretary at the Police Force Commission (SPP) for the Home Affairs Ministry.

Suhakam on April 3 released its report after an 18-month inquiry into a series of missing person cases.

The report made the conclusion that the police’s Special Branch was involved in the “enforced disappearances” of Koh and Amri and following this, the cabinet, in May, agreed for a special task to be formed to investigate Suhakam’s findings.

Koh, 64, was abducted by a group of masked men while driving in Kelana Jaya, Selangor on Feb 13, 2017, while Amri, 44, a co-founder of Perlis Hope Welfare Association, disappeared on Nov 24, 2016. - Bernama