Police today issued a warrant of arrest for a witness who failed to attend the Suhakam public inquiry into missing activist Amri Che Mat.
A representative from the Attorney-General’s Chambers told the inquiry that Saiful Afdzan, the owner of Mak Lang restaurant in Perlis, was supposed to attend a court hearing at Jalan Duta but did not show up.
The Dang Wangi district police headquarters will execute the arrest.
Last month, the inquiry was told that Saiful refused to attend the hearing, citing losses to his business.
The panel also heard that Saiful claimed to have witnessed the abduction which occurred across from his restaurant.
Amri’s family aide, Sheryll Stothard, had said that Saiful was summoned by Suhakam last year to give his testimony.
“The inquiry heard that he didn’t want to come because he said he would suffer losses,” she said.
Suhakam officers told the panel that Saiful had said that he would attend the hearing if they paid for the daily losses incurred from closing his shop.
The officers then had lodged a police report on March 22 at the Sentul police district headquarters against Saiful for failing to attend the hearing.
Sentul police chief R Munusamy said Saiful will be charged under Section 174 of the Penal Code for non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant.
Amri was allegedly being investigated for spreading Shia teachings.
He went missing on November 24, 2016, and was believed to have been abducted by a group of people in four-wheel drives seen surrounding his car in Kg Padang Behor.
Suhakam is conducting a public inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, to ascertain if they are cases of enforced disappearance. – TMI