KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 ― A day before the third anniversary of Pastor Raymond Koh’s abduction, his wife announced that she has filed a lawsuit against police officials past and present as well as the government over his alleged abduction by state actors.
During a press conference at an event to mark his abduction, Susanna Liew said she was suing former inspectors-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun over the incident.
Liew’s lawyer, Datuk Jerald Gomez, explained that they had no choice but to file the lawsuit after failing to obtain a satisfactory resolution to Koh’s abduction from the police force.
Gomez also said that the three-year limitation period to sue was about to expire along with the anniversary of Koh’s abduction tomorrow.
The lawyer acknowledged that the Home Ministry announced a special task force to examine Koh’s case last year, but said there have been no updates since then.
“In December nothing happened. And on February 13, the case will be time barred, which is when you have got three years to bring a suit against any government or any agency,” he explained.
Those named in the lawsuit include former principal assistant director of Special Branch’s Social Extremism Division Datuk Awaludin Jadid, and senior officers including current Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Datuk Huzir Mohamed, and Selangor state CID Chief Datuk Fadzil Ahmat.
Also named were police officers Supari Ahmad, Khor Yi Shuen, Hazril Kamis, Mohamad Shamzaini Mohd Daud, Saiful Bahari Abdul Aziz, the current Inspector General of Police, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the government of Malaysia.
Liew is claiming general and exemplary damages in her lawsuit that accused the respondents of negligence, misfeasance, and conspiracy to injure.
She said the respondents’ failure to perform their legal duty violated her constitutional and legal rights as the spouse of the abducted Koh.
“We have no alternative but to turn to the last bastion of justice and truth, our judiciary.
“Only time will tell whether the truth will prevail and all those who perpetrated this heinous act against a citizen of Malaysia will be brought to account for the unlawful acts,” said Liew.
Koh was taken in broad daylight in 2017 by a team of abductors in several vehicles and has never been seen again since; the incident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera.
His abduction as well as that of activist Amri Che Mat became the subject of a public inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
Suhakam concluded last year that the Special Branch was involved in Koh’s abduction and labelled it an “enforced disappearance.”
The findings were used to support Liew’s lawsuit.
