In his verdict, Su ruled that one or more police personnel – both former and current – were involved in Koh’s abduction and had acted “oppressively and arbitrarily”, misusing their public power in the incident, reported Malay Mail.
“The court is satisfied that the plaintiffs have proven that (the defendants) had exercised public power in bad faith. The enforced disappearance of Koh collectively constitutes oppression of the highest order,” Su was quoted as saying by The Edge.
The court also found that the federal government had breached its statutory duty by failing to properly investigate Koh’s disappearance and instead engaged in suppression of evidence and investigative misdirection.
“The concealment of information and misdirection of inquiries suggest the involvement of individuals with direct knowledge seeking to protect those involved,” Su said.
In justifying the sum awarded, Su stressed: “The RM10,000 is not a figure I plucked from the air. It was a figure that was given by the Court of Appeal involving false imprisonment at RM10,000 per day as given for deprivation of personal liberty under the Federal Constitution.”
Malay Mail, in its report, noted that Su had acknowledged the irony in awarding such large sums. The judge had said that the higher the damages awarded, the more public funds would ultimately be used to pay for the wrongdoings of government servants.
“It offends the concept of fairness, reasonableness and justice,” he said.
Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, dedicated the verdict to her missing husband and others in a similar boat.
“We dedicate this struggle and judgement to Pastor Raymond Koh, a man of compassion and courage, and to all victims of enforced disappearances,” she said, according to BBC.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-agc-raymond-koh-pastor-high-court-amri-che-mat-disappearance-5450196
