PRESS STATEMENT
20 July 2008

Concern over Fabrication of DNA Evidence

Gerakan Chief Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon earlier today echoed statements that have been made by other Barisan Nasional leaders including Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar calling for Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim to provide a blood sample to facilitate DNA analyses and to do so through an international forensic expert.

As a practicing DOCTOR since 1985 and cardiologist since 1994, I reiterate the statement made by lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah on 18 July 2008 that the presence of an international forensic expert does nothing to satisfy concerns held by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s counsel over the potential misuse of blood samples in the investigation.  This is not for lack of faith in the integrity of the forensic doctors who may take the samples. We are more concerned over the likelihood that the police will misuse the blood samples to implicate Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim by fabrication of DNA evidence.

Such fabrication can easily take place in the circumstances of this case because the complainant has been in the custody of the police since 28 June 2008.  The police have been in possession of samples of Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s DNA and his DNA profile since 1998 when ASP Rodwan illegally moved his blood out of forensic custody.  Samples of Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s blood have also been available to the authorities from regular medical check-ups taken during the six-year’s period of his incarceration.

Given the current circumstances, the police could quite easily plant Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s DNA (from that which is still in their possession) on the complainant’s clothes or even inside his body.  The police could also do that from the blood sample that Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim is being asked to give now.  It is well known that blood samples, which contain abundant DNA, can easily be used to contaminate other samples.

As Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already clarified, the two doctors at HKL who asked him for his blood also told him that they would have no control over the sample after it was handed to the police.

I also note the lock-up on the 7th Floor at IPK KL, where Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim was detained on the night of 16 July 2008, was closely examined by a special forensic team immediately after his release on the morning of 17 July 2008.  This is an odd procedure to follow, bearing in mind that there were others held earlier in the same cell the previous night but who were removed at about 7:30 PM on 16 July.

Was this one of the real reasons Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim was held overnight  –  to try to gather additional DNA samples illegally and by a blatant abuse of power?

DR. LEE BOON CHYE
VICE PRESIDENT, KEADILAN