Paul Yong’s rape trial: Two unknown mixed profile DNA samples taken from crime scene, court told

IPOH: Two unknown mixed profile DNA samples were extracted from a rape crime scene allegedly involving Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong, the High Court here heard.

Ipoh police district's senior investigating officer Asst Supt Yap Siew Cheng agreed with Yong’s counsel Datuk Rajpal Singh that the DNA samples were not that of the victim, the accused or his family members.

ASP Yap was testifying at the trial of the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s assemblyman on Tuesday (Sept 28). Yong is accused of raping his Indonesian maid in 2019.

The mixed DNA samples did not include semen or blood but hair and other particles.

When Rajpal asked ASP Yap if she had investigated to whom the DNA belonged, she replied no.

“The chemist report stated that there was no DNA evidence involving the accused,” he said, to which Yap agreed.

Asked why the bedsheet was not confiscated, ASP Yap replied that it was not the same cover on the bed during the incident.

Questioned further about the original bedsheet, ASP Yap said no confiscation was made.

“I am suggesting to you that the police had indeed confiscated the original bedsheet but it was not sent for analysis because that will clearly show the DNA of a third party.

“I am also suggesting that the victim had created stories on the rape by her employer because she no longer wanted to work in that house, and hoped to return to Indonesia,” he said, to which ASP Yap disagreed.

Rajpal also put it to Yap that she had done a one-sided investigation as she failed to investigate the points brought up by the accused when his statements were being recorded.

“The accused mentioned about the mental status of the victim, of her finding reasons to go back to her homeland, as well as a political ploy.

“But none of this was investigated. Did you send her for any psychiatric medical evaluation?” Rajpal asked, to which ASP Yap replied no.

When the lead Deputy Public Prosecutor Azalina Rashdi asked ASP Yap how she knew that it was not the same bedsheet used on the day of the incident, the latter said the victim had informed her.

ASP Yap also told the court that she had referred to the Indonesian Embassy to check on the victim’s mental health status from her home country.

Azalina also asked ASP Yap about Rajpal's suggestion that the victim was not raped by the accused, the witness said she did not agree, adding that based on her investigation, the victim was indeed raped by the accused.

“This is from my checks with the embassy, the telecommunication company and witness statements... all the dates and timing tallied,” she added.

On a diary belonging to the victim, another of Yong’s lawyer, Salim Bashir, asked ASP Yap if she agreed that there was nowhere in the diary that stated the victim was raped or sexually harassed, to which she (Yap) agreed.

She also agreed that a day before the incident, in the diary it was written “wait and watch” in an Indonesian dialect followed by a profanity (**CK).

Yong is accused of raping his maid who was 23 at the time.

On Aug 23, 2019, he claimed trial at the Ipoh Sessions Court to the charge.

The offence was allegedly committed in a room on the top floor of his house in Meru Desa Park between 8.15pm and 9.15pm on July 7, 2019.

Judge Abdul Wahab Mohamed fixed Nov 16 for oral submissions.