Canny Ong murder trial resumes today

BY CHELSEA L.Y. NG

PETALING JAYA: After 15 weeks, the high profile Canny Ong murder trial, which was adjourned after a five-day hearing in September last year, will resume at the Shah Alam High Court today. 

The trial, expected to go on for two weeks, has so far heard evidence from 10 out of 69 potential witnesses. 

The accused Ahmad Najib Aris, a former aircraft cabin cleaning supervisor, allegedly raped and murdered the 28-year-old US-based IT analyst at the Km11 of Old Klang Road on June 14. 

Below is a review of some of the salient testimony that was given in the court of Justice Muhamad Ideres Rapiee: 

Day 1: Monday, Sept 15 

Three witnesses testified, with Canny’s mother Pearley Visvanathan taking the centre stage. 

The rape and murder trial began with Pearley, 57, recounting her daughter’s last words on the night of June 13.  

The other two witnesses were police photographer L/Kpl Thalvir Singh Saudagar Singh and L/Kpl Mokhtar Hussein.  

Day2: Tuesday, Sept16 

L/Kpl S. Ravichandran testified that Canny had gestured twice to him as though begging for help when he stopped to check her identity and that of the accused while patrolling in Petaling Jaya on June 13. 

When he tried to open the car door, the accused started the car and sped off. 

Day 3: Wednesday, Sept 17 

Aminah Isahak, whose family had stopped to help the accused change a flat tyre in Sungai Way in the wee hours of June 14, said Canny had signalled for help using facial expressions.  

The 34-year-old clerk said that although Canny appeared scared, she had refused to come out of the Proton Tiara. 

A civil engineer working for a construction company testified that his workers found a badly burnt corpse shoved inside a culvert at the construction site. 

Day 4: Thursday, Sept 18 

A convoy of more than 20 vehicles visited the four crime scenes linked to the case. Leading the fleet were several police vehicles and the official car of Justice Muhamad Ideres. 

Day 5: Friday, Sept 19 

Pictures taken by the closed-circuit camera at the shopping centre showed that Canny was last captured on video at 10.44pm while leaving an autopay machine and heading towards the lifts to the car park. 

None of the recordings could positively identify Canny’s abductor or even if there had been any abduction. 

The only clue provided by the footage was that of the Proton Tiara ramming through the barricade of the shopping mall’s car park at 10.50pm on June 13.  

The Canny Ong murder trial