A police witness has rebutted all claims made by corporal Sirul Azhar Umar when he was recalled to testify in the Altantuya Shariibuu murder trial today at the Shah Alam High Court.

ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin, 34, denied all allegations of misconduct and conspiracy against Sirul when examined by deputy public prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah in a trial-within-a-trial.

The ongoing trial-within-a-trial aims to determine whether the words said by Sirul to Zulkarnain: "I kept the jewellery in my jacket" and had nodded and pointed at the jewellery with his finger when they were at Sirul's Kota Damansara house - is admissible or not.

On Monday, Sirul alleged that he felt Zulkarnain was framing him by ordering him to pose with jewellery believed to be the murdered Mongolian's in his Kota Damansara house on Nov 7 last year.

'I did not raise my voice'

The accused also alleged that the serious crime division (D9) officer had threatened him and made promises to secure Sirul's freedom if he would cooperate in admitting that he kept the jewellery in his house.

Zulkarnain stuck to his previous testomonial that Sirul made the disclosure voluntarily and did not appear scared during the interrogation.

"I did not bang the table with my hands. I did not raise my voice. I did not promise that I would not let this matter go to court," he said.

The Kuala Lumpur-based officer also showed the well-mannered side of him when answering question from the counsel about an unidentified light blue cloth-like object seen in the pictures taken when the D9 search Sirul's flat last year.

"I had ordered my men when entering Sirul's room to respect his house ( tuan punya rumah ) and not to move or step on anything in the room.

"One of my personnel. I can't remember who, had picked up the light blue clothing or cloth from the floor and placed it on the bed," he told the court.

The light blue cloth in contention is not present in the picture of Sirul's bed but it appears in the next two pictures - one of the jewellery on Sirul's black leather jacket placed on top of the bed and one with Sirul's pointing at the items.

Sirul's counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin then quizzed him as to why did his personnel move the item if he had given strict orders for them not to.

Zulkarnain answered: "It is common sense that any clothes or cloth on the floor should not be stepped on. Maybe that item was moved so it won't be stepped on."

The police officer also denied that he had ordered lance corporal Kamarolzaman Mat Nor, 41, to wait outside when the search in Sirul's room was conducted.

Continues Sept 17

The police photographer yesterday told the court that he was ordered by Zulkarnain not to go into Sirul's bedroom until the search was finished.

Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin adjourned the court after dismissing Zulkarnain. The hearing continues on Sept 17 with the examination of chief inspector Koh Fei Cheow.

Two police officers, chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul are charged with the murder which allegedly took place between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.

Altantuya's body was said to be blown up in a jungle clearing in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting the murder by giving the orders out to them at between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19 last year in Kuala Lumpur.

All three accused face the death penalty if convicted.