RPK's sedition trial : Police witness accused as lying by counsel

Confusion between the words menyiasat (investigate) and memeriksa (search) in the Sessions Court yesterday momentarily led to a witness being blamed for lying.

A defence counsel in the Raja Petra Kamarudin's sedition trial accused the witness, Superintendent Victor Sanjos as "lying right through his teeth" when Sanjos told the court that he was instructed by his superior to conduct a search in Raja Petra's house immediately.

Sanjos said this in answer to a question by deputy public prosecutor Roslan Mat Nor during re-examination in chief.

However, counsel Gobind Singh Deo said that Sanjos had earlier, during cross-examination, said otherwise.

"Earlier, when I questioned, he said that he did not get any instruction to investigate the case immediately. Now, he says that there were such instructions," said Gobind.

Judge Rozina Ayob, after going through her notes, clarified that the witness had answered Gobind that he was not asked to investigate, but to merely conduct a search.

Roslan explained that his question was on the search, and there was no issue of contradicting answers.

Sanjos, 39, head of cyber security in the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, was the fourth witness to be called in the trial, which entered its third day yesterday.

Raja Petra is charged with posting a seditious article on his Malaysia Today website, www.malaysia-today.net, titled "Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell".

The article implicated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Altantunya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian woman.

The offence was alleged to have been committed at his house at No 5, Jalan BRP 5/5, Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh, on April 25.

Raja Petra, 58, is being detained under Internal Security Act at the Kamunting prison since Sept 12.

The proceedings yesterday saw the arrival of two unexpected people at the courtroom. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail walked in at 10.10am and took a seat at the front row of the public gallery. Two bodyguards were seen standing near the courtroom door.

The duo were seen chatting with Raja Petra's wife, Marina Lee Abdullah.

When the court took a short break some 20 minutes later, Anwar spoke to Raja Petra for about five minutes.

He gave Raja Petra a hug and wished him well before leaving the court for the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for his sodomy case.

When the trial resumed, the defence contended that the search conducted at their client's house was not done according to the law.

Gobind said according to Section 8 of the Sedition Act 1948, a search warrant was required for a police officer to conduct a search.

In reply, Sanjos said he did not require a warrant because he had the power to conduct the search. He also said that Raja Petra was not arrested at that time as there was no reason to do so.

Hearing continues today(NST).