Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan addresses reporters at the Ipoh High Court December 14, 2021. — Picture by Farhan Najib
IPOH, Dec 14 — Despite a court-issued warrant for his arrest, M. Indira Gandhi’s ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah was never on the Interpol’s red or yellow notice.
Indira’s lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan told the High Court here today that the police did not make any effort to list Muhammad Riduan’s name with Interpol even after being given the order that he was to be arrested since May 13, 2014.
“This is the reason why Muhammad Riduan could travel in and out of a few countries without getting caught as there is no any red alert on his name.
“We have checked the Interpol website and his name was not listed in any of the notices to date. It has been seven years since the court ordered police to arrest him,” Rajesh reported to Judicial Commissioner Bhupindar Singh as part of a judicial investigation into the hunt for Muhammad Riduan.
The court had also ordered the police to recover Prasana Diksa, the daughter Muhammad Riduan had with Indira, whom he unilaterally converted to Islam and took away.
Senior federal counsel Nur Idayu Amir who represent the police, told the court that Muhammad Riduan had fled the country on March 19, 2014 based on the Immigration Department’s records.
She said that police had contacted six countries namely Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei and Korea to find the whereabouts of Muhammad Riduan.
“Out of the six countries, only two countries namely Cambodia and Thailand have gotten back to us on Muhammad Riduan’s travel records.
“Muhammad Riduan was reported to have entered Cambodia on June 30, 2016 and left the country on July 2, 2016. While for Thailand, there was only record of him leaving the country on February 11, 2019,” she said.
However, she said that both Interpol had put Muhammad Riduan and Prasana in its yellow list.
“The police will check with the Interpol on the requirements needed for a person to be listed in the red notice and take necessary action,” she said.
Nur Idayu also said that the last Employees Provident Fund (EPF) payment for Muhammad Riduan was made on April 2015, a year after he was said to have fled the country.
“The last EPF payment made for Muhammad Riduan’s second wife Nor Shelly Ashikin was on March 2010,” she added.
She also said that Road Transport Department (RTD) shows two vehicles were registered under the name of Muhammad Riduan before 2014, while another two vehicles were registered under his second wife.
“The last and latest traffic summon issued on Muhammad Riduan’s vehicle was on February 15, 2016 while the latest traffic summon for Nor Shelly’s vehicle was issued on February 3, 2020. Both not paid,” she said.
Nur Idayu did not elaborate on the summons; she said the details from the RTD are confidential.
Rajesh said that the information provided in the affidavit on the traffic summons is not sufficient as they need to know the place where the summons were issued and for what offences.
“These are crucial information which can lead to the whereabouts of Muhammad Riduan,” he said.
Nur Idayu said that the police are tracking the information on the vehicles with the help from RTD and added that they’re yet to obtain feedback for now.
She said the police have written to Bank Negara and the Health Ministry to check on the Covid-19 heath status for Muhammad Riduan, Nor Shelly and their four children aged three to 10 based on the MySejahtera application.
“For now we haven’t got any feedback,” she said.
“However, on November 26, we submitted an affidavit to the Kelantan Education Department. No schooling information on Prasana, but there was schooling information on one of his second wife’s children.
“Based on that, we have managed to get the address used for the school’s registration and checked the house.
“However, no one was there and the neighbours had said that they have not seen Muhammad Riduan and his children for the last three years. Police will continue to track the children based on the schooling information,” she added.
Bhupindar then asked the government lawyer about the measures, efforts and strategies taken by the police in locating and arresting Mohammad Riduan as per his previous instructions.
Nur Idayu said that the police are investigating based on the latest leads, but can’t reveal the strategies.
“Since this case has dragged on, the interest of media coverage, we can’t reveal the strategies as it will affect the investigation,” she said.
Rajesh urged the court to call in the Perak police chief for an explanation on his assertion made in the affidavit that Prasana is with Muhammad Riduan, even though the police supposedly have not been able to locate them.
“The police have not located Muhammad Riduan and Prasana, so how then they can be sure and issue statements that Prasana is with Muhammad Riduan?” he asked.
The court has fixed the next hearing on February 22.
Indira was present for today’s court hearing, accompanied by Indira Gandhi Action Team chairman Arun Dorasamy.
Rajesh also said that Indira has filed an application to cite the Inspector-General of Police and the Perak police chief for contempt of court.
“This contempt of court application is in relation to the recovery order of Prasana. This order states that the police must recover Prasana. Prasana has been missing since 2014.
“The High Court had ordered police to submit an affidavit every month together with the copy of the investigation diary. Police have failed, neglected and refused to do so. Approximately 90 affidavits had failed to be filed,” he said.
He said the court had ordered the AGC to file an affidavit in reply to the contempt of court.
The case management for this application has been fixed for January 25, 2022.