A total of 108 machine guns, about 17,000 rounds of ammunition, a communications set and three Pajero vehicles were among the items recovered by the police from Bukit Jenalik, Sauk on July 6, the Kuala Lumpur High Court hearing the Al-Ma'unah "treason" trial was told today.

Investigating officer ASP Azman Salim said that of the machine guns, he recovered 72 weapons while the rest were given to him later by another IO, ASP Ravinder Singh.

"I went to the place to conduct an inspection and there I recovered 61 M-16 machine guns, three rocket launchers, four general purpose machine guns (Gpmg), six light machine guns (LMG) and one Steyr machine gun," he said.

He added that he also recovered 11 additional barrels for the Gpmg and LMG, seven Gpmg tripods, 16 flare trip wires, 18 bayonets, one communications set which included a radio set, a battery, a head and hand set as well as a set on antennas.

"Of the ammunitions, I recovered 6,450 7.62mm bullets, 104 tracer bullets, 9,111 5.56mm bullets, 1,650 9 mm bullets and 38 cartridges," Azman, who is the head of crime investigations in Hulu Perak district, added.

Azman was giving evidence in the case where the 29 members of the Al-Ma'unah group (photo) are accused under section 121 of the Penal Code for waging war against the Yang diPertuan Agong, which carries the punishment of death or life sentence, or a fine, if found guilty of waging war or abetting to wage war in the country.

They are alleged to have committed the offence between June and July 6 at Pos 2, Km 19, Kuala Rui, Jalanraya Timur-Barat, Grik; Batalion 304, Infantri (AW), Kem Grik, Grik; and in Bukit Jenalik, Sauk, all in Perak ([#1]Twenty-nine Al-Ma'unah members claim trial[/#], Aug 9).

They are alleged to have stolen a cache of weapons and ammunition from two military camps by impersonating as army officers in the early hours of July 2. It has been reported that the group surrendered to the authorities on July 7 at Bukit Jenalik.

Pajero found

Azman also said he recovered two three-wheel drive Pajero vehicles at Bukit Jenalik and was later handed by Ravinder another vehicle.

All the weapons, ammunitions, vehicles and other equipment were then tendered to the court as exhibits, except for those which have already been tendered to the court in the past proceedings.

The court itself was adjourned this morning to hear testimony at a multi-purpose hall in the Pusat Latihan Polis (Pulapol - Police Training Centre) in Jalan Semarak as all the arms and other equipment in relation to this case are kept there for safe keeping.

Azman also said he lodged two police reports regarding the recovery of the arms and vehicles.

He also added that he had sent some of the ammunition to the Perak police armoury division to check the serviceability of the ammunition.

Azman said Ravinder, after conducting his inspection in the area, handed to him 35 M-16 machine guns and one Steyr machine gun as well as two M-16 magazines which had a combination of 48 bullets.

Faulty rocket

He further said Ravinder also gave him one "rocket signal distress" but he had that destroyed for the danger it could cause.

"It was found in a condition where it has been fired but had not exploded," he said.

Azman also said Ravinder gave him the keys to a Pajero. He identified the three Pajero vehicles as those parked outside the hall (photo).

Earlier in the day, justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Attorney-General Mohtar Abdullah, his team of prosecutors as well as all defence counsel had a closer look at the weapons and ammunitions which were paraded in the hall.

An army officer explained the functions of the weapons and also the differences of the machine guns.

Hearing continues at the same venue tomorrow morning.

In another development, counsel Karpal Singh, for Al-Ma'unah leader Mohd Amin Mohd Razali (photo), told the press that he had already filed a notice of appeal at the Federal Court to appeal against Zulkefli's decision yesterday in rejecting his preliminary objections.

Zulkefli dismissed Karpal's objection to the use of the 1975 Essential Security Cases (Amendment) Regulations (Escar) and not the commonly used Criminal Procedure Code in prosecuting the 29 ([#2]High Court rules Escar valid in Al-Ma'unah trial[/#], Oct 3).