SHAH ALAM: A police officer told the High Court here yesterday that 65 samples of soil taken at Ladang Gadong in Banting, where cosmetic millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others were believed murdered, tested positive for blood.
Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) Forensic Laboratory Deputy Head, ACP Hussin Omar Khan, 41, said the soil samples were taken by members of his team, who were assisted by officers from the Mineral and Geosciences Department, during the search at the farm on Oct 9 and 10, 2010.
He said 16 of the soil samples which tested positive for blood were taken on Oct 9, while the remaining 49 samples, which also tested positive for blood, were taken on Oct 10, 2010.
“We made a presumptive test on the soil samples to test the presence of blood using ‘hemocculet sensa card’ which gave on-the-spot results.
“The samples which tested positive for blood were wrapped and sent for further tests at the Chemistry Department,” he said during examination-in-chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Idham Abd.Ghani.
Hussin, the 51st prosecution witness, is testifying in the trial of former lawyer N.Pathmanabhan, 42, and three farm workers, T Thilaiyalagan, 20; R.Matan, 21, and R.Khatavarayan, 31, who are charged with murdering Sosilawati, 47, bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and Sosilawati’s driver, Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.
The offence was allegedly committed at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang, Tanjung Sepat, Banting, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30, 2010.
All four of them are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
However, when cross-examined by lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon, who represented Pathmanabhan, Hussin agreed that the tests conducted by the Chemistry Department found no trace of blood in the soil samples.
When asked Manjeet Singh how the ‘hemocculet sensa’ card functioned, Hussin said it could detect the presence of the blood components, like hemoglobin.
Earlier, Hussin told the court that a search by the forensic team at Sungai Panchau, Banting, on Sept 15, 2010, found, among others, 417 bone fragments, three teeth, two chain, two shillings, a key and four pieces of melted metal, believed to be gold He said the items were found when the team searched the river bed where the soil was then filtered.
“I dried up all the exhibits under a fan in a vacant room at the Kuala Langat police station in Banting , (then) wrapped and marked them according to where they were found in the river before handing them over to the investigating officer,” he added. The hearing before Justice Datuk Akhtar Tahir continues today. — Bernama