SUHAKAM INQUIRY | Despite nine months having passed since Raymond Koh's abduction, the investigating officer tasked to probe his disappearance has no clue whether the pastor is still alive.

"No idea," was the curt response given by officer Supari Mohammad to Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai, who asked him he thought Koh was still alive.

Supari also said that he has "no idea" whether Koh was still in the country.

Testifying before the Suhakam public hearing today, Supari said he believes that the extremist link was the most likely possibility behind Koh's disappearance. 

Mah (photo) had cited a statement made by the then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar that police were looking at three theories in the investigation – kidnap for ransom, extremist links as well as personal issues. 

In response to a question from Steven Thiru, who is representing the Koh family, Supari said that he was unsure if Koh was being held by police.

"I'm not sure. Based on what I know, no. (But) I'm not sure," he said. 

The officer also noted that the information given by former Petaling Jaya councillor Peter Chong, who claimed that he was held against his will for a week in Thailand in April, "has not been helpful at all."

"There isn't any information that I can use from what was given for me to continue investigations," he said. 

Chong had said that his two captors claimed they were from a group attempting to stop him from proselytising to Muslims, and that they believed he was one of the organisers of the candlelight vigils held for Koh.

Koh was kidnapped by a group of masked and armed men on Feb 13.

The Suhakam inquiry is seeking to establish whether disappearances of Koh, activist Amri Chemat, pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Hilmy are tantamount to enforced disappearances, as defined under International Convention for Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances (ICPPED).

Other members of the panel are commissioners Aishah Bidin and Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.