Federal CID interrogation branch chief DSP Zainudin Abdul Samad did not take down notes when he visited the crime scene on Nov 6 last year, during investigations into the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Zainudin, testifying in the Shah Alam High Court today, said he had gone to the crime scene after first accused Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri led a police team to a remote jungle clearing in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam.

The court has heard that the secondary forest is where Altantuya is believed to have been shot before her body was blown up with explosives last October.

Under cross-examination, Zainudin, 52, agreed with Azilah's lawyer Hazman Ahmad (photo) that this was a high-profile case but said he did not take down notes because he did not think he would be called as a witness.

Hazman - who spent the entire morning asking Zainudin for more information - was visibly annoyed when the police officer failed to recollect many things.

"As an interrogation officer, don't you agree that you have to take down notes to remember details because you had to brief (Federal CID deputy director (II)) Syed Ismail (Syed Azizan) about it?

"You obviously cannot rely on your memory. This is very important information!" Hazman exclaimed.

Zainudin disagreed with this statement. The former police disciplinary officer could not recall which roads he took to Puncak Alam from the Kuala Lumpur contingent headquarters (IPK) and how many people were in the blue Pajero as they were 'not his men'.

Hazman: Did you sleep on the journey to the crime scene (on Nov 6 last year)?

Zainudin: No.

Hazman: So you only remember that you sat in front in the car from IPK KL to the Jalan Duta toll. You don't remember anything else?

Zainudin: Yes.

Hazman: On your way there from IPK to the crime scene, did you make and receive calls on your mobile phone?

Zainudin: I don't remember receiving calls but I remember making one call to my personnel, Detective Lance Coporal Janagaran, (to say) I wouldn't be returning to office because I was following Chief Inspector Koh (Fei Cheow) to the crime scene.

Hazman: You only made one phone call? I will be submitting evidence that you made and received many other calls. I am saying you are lying because Jana was at the crime scene that day.

Zainudin: I did not notice Jana at the crime scene. I don't know.

Hazman: (raising voice) The whole investigation team was at the scene including Jana!

Zainudin: I did not notice.

Details about Azilah

Earlier today, Hazman asked what personal details Zainudin had obtained when interrogating Azilah from Nov 2-7 last year.

Zainudin (photo) had the packed courtroom in laughter when he could not remember Azilah's full name. He then said Azilah was from a poor background and moved from his hometown in Sarikei, Sarawak, to Sepang in Selangor.

"He likes window-shopping and to enjoy himself (berhibur). He also likes to fast because he fasted during this time in remand. He doesn't like lying," Zainudin replied.

"He has a girlfriend named Norhaniza (Rohaniza Raslan) who is with D7 (gambling and vice division at the) Petaling Jaya police headquarters, whom he often called Ani."

To Hazman's question if he knew that Azilah had another girlfriend named Azila, he said "No".

Zainudin - who yesterday said he had used a soft interrogation approach on Azilah - was also asked to differentiate 'interrogation' from 'interview'. He said he views both as being the same.

Hazman pointed out that 'interrogation' was more forceful while an 'interview' was more casual, but the cop said: "Interrogation is done through interviews."

Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin then drew laughter when he asked Zainudin if he was "chief interrogator or chief interviewer in Bukit Aman".

Azilah and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar are charged with killing Altantuya between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda is charged with abetting them. All three face the death penalty if convicted.