A new witness takes the stand.....

The Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial records today the testimony of a new witness, another chemist, Nor Aidora(right) as the prosecution wrapped up the re-examination of the Chemistry Department's DNA specialist Seah Lay Hong today.

8.50am: Hearing resumes with Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah presiding. Seah takes the stand.

Half the seats in the public gallery are still empty.

8.53am: DPP Noorin asks Seah about the discrepancy in labelling of dates for receptacles B4, B5 and B6.

Seah replies that the department's written procedure states that she is not allowed to reject the samples based on such an error.

"The documentation done by another party is noted down. We do not form any basis for rejection," she says.

Seah also says the seals were intact.

Noorin: Did the dates affect the integrity of the sample?

Seah: No, because seal was intact.

8.57am: Seah says errors could have occurred during labelling. The witness says the container was tamper proof.

9.00am: Seah says she would reject any sample if she found it had been tampered with.

"In this case, none of the samples provided were rejected."

9.02am: DPP Noorin finishes re-examining Seah.

9.05am: Nor Aidora says she has been the head of the DNA paternity unit since 2008, that she joined the Chemistry Department in 1998, and has a master's in forensic DNA from Auckland University.

9.30am: Nor Aidora also says she has handled about 100,000 DNA samples since 1998.

Sankara raises an objection when Nor Aidora, when asked what she received on July 17, 2008, moves to look at her report. Mohd Yusof replies that since nothing has been said by the witness, there is no basis for an objection.

9.35am: The judge calls for an adjournment to rule on the objection.

9.37am: All parties enter the judges chamber.

10.33am: The trial resumes.

10.36am: Nor Aidora says she received a request from DSP Jude Blacious Pereira to analyse samples. She says she received four envelopes marked 'D', 'D1', 'D2', and 'D3', which were sealed by police. The packages were in good condition, says Nor Aidora.

10.50am: An envelope which contains a strand of hair is marked as P57. Its content ID57a is lablled 'the bulu', referring to the strand of hair pasted on a piece of paper.

The witness identifies the item as "the bulu".

10.58am: D1 contains a white toothbrush. The toothbrush is marked ID58A and the envelope is marked P58.

11.02am: Nor Aidora says she had swabbed the toothbrush handle and bristles with a cotton bud.

11.04am: Envelope D2 is marked ID59. Its contents are a Good Morning towel with the strand of hair.

Nor Aidora says she swabbed four different parts of the towel for DNA sampling.

11.09am: The towel is marked ID59A. Nor Aidora explains that the strand of hair she put on the piece of paper is different from the one that the police found on the floor. (Thus far, two strands of hairs have been tendered as evidence. The hair from the floor is marked 'D' while the hair from the towel is marked 'D2a')

The second strand of hair is marked ID60B.

11.15am: The contents of envelope D3 are now being examined.

11.18am: D3 contains a bottle of mineral water. Nor Aidora says she swabbed the bottle and the inner mouth area of the bottle. It is marked ID61A.

11.24am: The examination of samples started on July 18 and the DNA analysis was conducted on July 19. She says the examination was completed on July 21.

Nor Aidora says she submitted a report dated July 22, 2008. The DNA report is marked ID62.

11.36pm: She found 16 SDR Loci from the sample.

Nor Aidora says all calibrations are done before tests are conducted to ensure the equipment is working and in optimum condition.

"It is free from any contamination and error."

11.40pm: She says she could not find DNA on the two strands of hair but successfully retrieved DNA from the bottle, towel and toothbrush.

Her finding is that DNA obtained came from the same source.

DPP Noorin asks for break. The hearing will resume at noon.

12.06pm: Hearing resumes. Nor Aidora says she printed out 16 pages of the electropherogram graph (chart).

12.27pm: Nor Aidora says the profile DNA which she tested belongs to a male.

12.30pm: She says she handed her report to DSP Jude Pereira on July 22, 2008 at about 2.30pm. She also handed in all the exhibits.

12.31pm: Nor Aidora says she received Seah Lay Hong's report from her superior Lim Kong Boon.

12.34pm: After comparing her report with that of Seah, Nor Aidora says the DNA profile retrieved from the towel, toothbrush and mineral water bottle is identical to that identified as Male Y.

12.39pm: Lead defence counsel Karpal Singh raises an objection. He says the match probability database was not supplied to the defence, arguing that this is a violation of Section 51 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

12.44pm: Another defence counsel Ram Karpal Singh, submits that the earlier testimony, on 'Male Y', should be expunged.

Mohd Yusof challenges the claim, saying the second chemist report (by Nor Aidora) had been given to the defence.

"Throughout proceeding she has asked the court's permission to look at her notes and the court has allowed this."

Yusof says the prosecution is useing whatever the defence has in its possession.

12.53pm: The court goes into recess. The hearing will resume at 2.30pm.

source:malaysiakini

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