Chemist confirms DNA was that of ‘Male Y’: Anwar case

(The Straits Times) – THE DNA profile taken from a white toothbrush, a Good Morning towel and a mineral water bottle matches the DNA profile of an unknown person known as Male Y, whose semen was found inside the anus of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a chemist told a High Court hearing the sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Nor Aidora Saedon from the Chemistry Department testified on Wednesday that her analysis of the three items provided by the police had a DNA profile which matched that of Male Y . ‘I was asked to compare my results against that of (chemist) Dr Seah (Lay Hong), and so I obtained a copy of her report.

‘I found that the DNA from the toothbrush, towel and water bottle matched the DNA of the Male Y in her report, which means that they originated from the same source,’ Ms Nor Aidora said.

She had earlier testified that she received the items from investigating officer DSP Jude Blacious Pereira on July 17, 2008. She said she examined the items on July 18, and conducted her analysis from July 19 to 21, and completed her final report on July 22. She added she had also analysed two strands of hair but there was no DNA profile detected.

Ms Nor Aidora also told the court she had conducted a DNA match probability, when Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh objected, saying that the defence had not been supplied with the ‘statistical population database’ document that the witness was relying on to narrow down the ethnicity, and even identity, of Male Y.

Karpal, however, withdrew his objection after the defence was supplied with a copy of the document. According to the chemist, the statistical DNA calculations were based on the Malaysian database of the three major races in the country. She said the probability of that DNA profile having a coincidental match was 1:470 quintillion for Malays, 1:52 quintillion (Chinese) and 1:210 quintillion (Indians).