Mat Zain: Musa Hassan’s admission over Anwar’s DNA proves false evidence claims

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s recent admission that he took blood samples from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s “black eye” probe for DNA testing in Sodomy I proves he had helped fabricate evidence during the 1998 case, a former senior police officer said today.

Ex-KL CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, who was the investigating officer during the famous “black eye” incident, had previously accused Musa(picture) of taking the samples without the doctor’s and Anwar’s approval to convict the latter of sodomy.

In an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today, Mat Zain pointed out that Musa’s admission during his May interview with Malaysiakini was enough to kickstart investigations against the former IGP.

He said he was not surprised by the ensuing silence from Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail following Musa’s admission, repeating allegations that it was the Attorney-General himself who was the main culprit behind the fabrication of evidence leading to Anwar’s imprisonment.

“Musa’s admission on May 31, although brief, was enough to validate all that I have reported against the two of them (Musa and Abdul Gani) before,” he said in the open letter released to the media today.

Mat Zain has repeatedly accused both Abdul Gani and Musa, who was then Bukit Aman’s assistant criminal investigation chief, of deliberately falsifying evidence during Sodomy I and Anwar’s black-eye probe.

In the interview with Malaysiakini in May, Musa had admitted that he had used Anwar’s blood samples for DNA testing on the mattress in Sodomy I, but stressed that this had been according to procedure.

According to the published interview, Musa had explained that the samples were taken after Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, told the BBC that her husband may have been injected with the HIV while he was under police custody.

“When she made such allegations, I had to make a report as I was afraid the police force was being slandered. Under the law, the police or doctors could ask for blood samples to be tested.

“I took it to check for AIDS. It is not as though I cheated. All this was done according to procedure,” Musa was quoted as saying by the news portal.

He later added: “Yes, I did use the blood for DNA tests. I used it to test on the mattress.

“I have to conduct a full investigation as the allegations in the book ‘50 reasons why Anwar cannot be PM’ was extensive as there was the affair at the Tivoli Villa and other allegations.”

In his letter today, Mat Zain predicted that Musa would soon find himself trapped by his own words.

“But I am not worried if he (Musa) alone has to bear the consequences of his own actions. Unfortunately, these revelations of his would likely also bring shame to some of our police officers who have worked with integrity,” he said.

Mat Zain urged Ismail to consider reopening the corruption case against former Economic Planning Unit (EPU) chairman Tan Sri Ali Abul Hassan, which he said had been forcibly ordered closed during the 2000 power abuse allegations against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The matter, he said, was yet another conspiracy involving both Abdul Gani and Musa, both of whom he claimed had made conflicting statements in the press regarding the probe on Dr Mahathir.

Mat Zain pointed out that although the police had not been the authority investigating Ali Abul, it was the KL police who had taken the then Anti-Corruption Agency’s (ACA) investigation papers for examination while they were probing Dr Mahathir for power abuse.

“What I am saying here is that the ACA themselves had felt that the case against Ali Abul should not have been closed by the AGC (Attorney-General’s Chambers), as they were still in mid-probe when the orders to shut the matter were made.

“In short, the closure of the case against Ali Abul was done under extraordinary circumstances and creates suspicion among those who were probing the matter,” he said.

Mat Zain added in his letter to Ismail that both the issues he had raised — Musa’s admission, and Musa’s and Abdul Gani’s “suspicious” role in Ali Abul’s case — were enough reason for the police to open investigations on the duo.