KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — A police officer told the High Court here today that there was no mention of the words ‘Tanzim Al-Qaeda Malaysia’ in former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Yazid Sufaat’s ‘usrah’ sessions.

ASP Mohd Raby Abu Bakar, 55, attached to the Counter Terrorism Division (E8) of the Police Special Branch, said he knew about this from the information he received.

However, he said he had never attended the ‘usrah’ sessions held at Yazid’s house in Ampang, Selangor.

“I cannot attend the ‘usrah’ sessions because the accused knows me (as a police officer),” he said during cross-examination by lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad at the trial of Yazid and cafeteria assistant Muhammad Hilmi Hasim before judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin.

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Yazid is charged with two counts of inciting terrorist acts to threaten the public in Syria and of being a member of a terrorist group, Tanzim Al-Qaeda Malaysia, while Hilmi was charged with abetting him.

They were alleged to have committed the offences at DL 11, Taman Bukit Ampang, Lorong Mutiara 2, Lembah Jaya, Ampang, between Aug 1 2012 and Feb 7 2013.

To another question from Amer Hamzah, the seventh witness said the words ‘Tanzim Al-Qaeda Malaysia was somehow mentioned in a Facebook page, but he did not disclose the name of the Facebook page owner.

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When asked whether Tanzim Al-Qaeda Malaysia was ever gazetted as an organisation involved in terrorism, Mohd Raby told the court that he was not aware of that.

Mohd Raby, who is also Interpol expert speaker on terrorism, also agreed to the lawyer’s suggestion that there was no weapon found in Yazid’s house when inspected by the police.

The witness, however, disagreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that Yazid and Hilmi were organising the ‘usrah’ sessions to discuss Islamic teachings based on Al-Quran and that the sessions were merely religious talks.

Hearing continues on Monday. — Bernama