KUALA LUMPUR: The special task force (STF) set up to investigate the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat named Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin as one of the 10 'persons of interest' in the case.
Amri's wife Norhayati Ariffin said several top brass policemen – former special branch assistant director Datuk Awaludin Jadid as well as policemen Razman Ramli and Wan Nasirudin Pa'Wan Teh were also on the list, Free Malaysia Today reported.
"The report stated my husband's disappearance was 'likely to be caused by direct or indirect actions from the irresponsible policemen, who acted alone or in groups with religious organisations.
"The STF also mentioned that these people can assist in the investigation," she said before High Court judge Su Tiang Joo today.
She said this when testifying as a witness in her lawsuit against 21 individuals including former top cops Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Tan Sri Mohd Fuzi Harun as well as the government.
She said the STF report also named a person, Saiful Bahari Abdul Aziz as a potential key witness in the case.
"However, the report said the police failed to track down Saiful.
"The police special branch also did not provide full cooperation to the STF about Saiful," she said.
Norhayati filed the suit on Nov 18, 2019, against the police, government and the then home minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as well as the former head of the Special Branch's social extremism division, Awaludin Jadid.
She is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages.
The government had set up a task force in 2019 to investigate the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's claim of police involvement in the disappearances of Amri. It was chaired by former High Court judge Datuk Abd Rahim Uda.
On May 9 last year, High Court judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh ruled that the task force's report should be given to Norhayati and her lawyer.
However, the government filed an appeal against the order on June 7 of the same year.
Amri, who is the founder of a non-governmental organisation, went missing after leaving his home in Kangar at 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016.
His vehicle was found abandoned at a construction site at Bukit Chabang in Kangar.
The hearing continues.