Alex Josey - Cold blooded murders

Two minutes later, when she had not surfaced, and while he was still attending to his tank, he again pulled on the guide line. “I noticed there were no air bubbles breaking on the surface of the water.” Mr Coomaraswamy: What did you do? Sunny Ang: I was not alarmed. I thought she might have got tired of waiting for me and may have wandered off on her own. So I looked around and could not see any air bubbles. I then asked Yusuf to look around too. Mr Coomaraswamy: Did either of you see any air bubbles? Sunny Ang: We did not. Mr Coomaraswamy: What did you do then? Sunny Ang: My reaction was not one of alarm. His Lordship: What was your reaction? Sunny Ang: That she might have been playing with me; that is she might have been directly under the boat when the bubbles would not have been noticed; or she might have swum to and landed on one of the islands. His Lordship: One of the Sisters Islands? Sunny Ang: Yes. His Lordship: You seriously thought that at that time? Sunny Ang: Yes. His Lordship: Do you still think so? Sunny Ang: I don’t think so. Mr Coomaraswamy: Did you come to realize that day that an emergency existed? Sunny Ang: Yes, I looked under the boat on both sides but I could not see any bubbles at all, and both Yusuf and myself scanned both the islands for traces of footsteps or any other signs that would show that she had landed but we found none. It was about that stage I realized she had gotten into trouble. His Lordship: I would prefer the word ‘got’ to ‘gotten’. Mr Coomaraswamy: What did you do then? Sunny Ang: I then asked Yusuf what could be done. I vaguely remembered there was a telephone on St John’s. He confirmed this and we decided to go to St John’s to ring up for help. Mr Coomaraswamy: Did you at any time ask Yusuf to go faster? Sunny Ang: No, I did not. Mr Coomaraswamy: Why not? Sunny Ang: Because the boat went as fast as it could. Mr Coomaraswamy: Yusuf says that you were normal at that time. Could that be a correct description? Sunny Ang: I was alarmed. But there was no outward expression of it. Mr Coomaraswamy: He also said that at one time you were weeping, and further he said he saw tears in your eyes. Would that be correct? Sunny Ang: Water came out from my eyes, but there was no particular sign. His Lordship: He is saying the truth or what? Sunny Ang: I may have shed tears without consciously knowing it.

On the jetty at St John’s Island he met Jaffar bin Hussein, and told him what had happened, and he went to the telephone. He remembered running, but not whether it was to the telephone or back to the jetty. The judge asked, “Either coming or going?”

“That is so,” said Sunny Ang.

Asked about the disappearance of Jenny’s first tank while the Malay divers were searching for Jenny, Ang told the Court, “I gave a casual demonstration. I had forgotten that the tank was… I was under the impression that tanks are buoyant.” His Lordship: You have forgotten what? Sunny Ang: I was under the impression that tanks would float regardless whether they were full or empty. His Lordship: The tank sank? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Coomaraswamy: Did this happen in the straits between the two islands? Sunny Ang: Yes, more or less over the spot where Jenny disappeared. Mr Coomaraswamy: Why did you not dive into the water? Sunny Ang: With the Malay fishermen? Mr Coomaraswamy: Yes. His Lordship: Any time after you pulled the rope? Sunny Ang: The main reason was her air bubbles could not be located. She would be under where air bubbles were… I presumed she was nowhere around. So there was no point in diving. There were other vague and hazy reasons which crossed my mind, but they were not important. His Lordship: Other reasons? Sunny Ang: She might have been attacked by sharks. I think that is about all.

Defence counsel went on to ask him why he wrote three letters to the insurance companies the next afternoon. Ang explained that it was necessary in accident policies that notification should be given to the companies. “Any time limit?” asked the judge.

“No.” Ang replied.

In the afternoon, when the trial continued, defence counsel asked Ang if he had cut the green flippers Jenny had used. “No, I did not cut them,” said Sunny Ang.

The next question came from crown counsel. “Do you,” he asked Ang, “describe yourself as a truthful person?” The battle of wits which Ang had purposely sought by going into the witness-box, with the representative of the State, the people, had begun. Calm and at ease, Sunny Ang replied, “Normally I tell the truth. Sometimes I do tell white lies.” Mr Francis Seow: When do you depart from the truth? Sunny Ang: I cannot give you instances. Everybody does depart from the truth some time or other. Mr Francis Seow: Would you depart from the truth when it suits your purpose? Sunny Ang: Not exactly. Mr Francis Seow: Then when? Sunny Ang: I told you I cannot quote instances, but I do. Mr Francis Seow: In this particular case have you told any untruth? Sunny Ang: No. Mr Francis Seow: Not one? Sunny Ang: Not one untruth. Mr Francis Seow: Either to the insurance companies or to any person in connection with this case? Sunny Ang: I admit I did tell some untruths to the insurance companies. His Lordship: Would you describe them as white lies or blunt untruths? Sunny Ang: Untruths. His Lordship: They were falsehoods. Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: To gain a certain purpose? Sunny Ang: Not exactly. Can you give me an example? Then I will tell you whether I did for a certain purpose or not. Mr Francis Seow: What about the letters to the Great Eastern Life for the purpose of getting insurance which Jenny had applied for? Sunny Ang: That was not the primary reason. The primary reason was to get commission, which I would get if the policy is accepted. His Lordship: You lied with the golden hope of gaining? Sunny Ang: To get commission. Mr Francis Seow: Where is Jenny? Sunny Ang: I do not know. Mr Francis Seow: Is she dead? Sunny Ang: Presumably so. Mr Francis Seow: Why do you presume she is dead? Sunny Ang: Because she has not been heard of since. Mr Francis Seow: If she is alive would she have contacted you? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: And she has done that? Sunny Ang: No.

Crown counsel asked Ang about his plans to change his name, about his participation in the Singapore Grand Prix in 1961, and about his anxiety to have a coroner’s inquiry into Jenny’s disappearance. Mr Francis Seow: Because the coroner could make a finding that she is formally dead? Sunny Ang: We had hopes of that. Mr Francis Seow: You had hopes of that? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: And, once the coroner makes that finding, the way is then very clear for you to collect $450,000 through your mother? Sunny Ang: $300,000. Mr Francis Seow: You have calculated that? Sunny Ang: That is obvious. Mr Francis Seow: You had hopes to collect that other $150,000? You were going to contest it? Sunny Ang: It is impossible to contest. Mr Francis Seow: But you were prepared to contest for $100,000? Sunny Ang: Not prepared, but we were thinking of doing so. Mr Francis Seow: Anyway, the $300,000 was practically safe in the kitty if you could get the coroner’s formal findings? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: And with that end in view, you badgered your counsel to chase after the coroner. Isn’t that correct? Sunny Ang: I didn’t badger: the solicitor badgered. Mr Francis Seow: On your instructions? Sunny Ang: I gave instructions but he did it by himself.

Ang admitted he went to five different lawyers before Mr Lim of Lim and Lee advised him to take up civil proceedings. Mr Francis Seow: Because of the coroner’s failure to hold an inquiry for which you had hoped? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: Therefore you forced the pace by taking up civil proceedings? Sunny Ang: Yes. Mr Francis Seow: In the meanwhile you read up various aspects of insurance law?

Ang said he had made many trips to the High Court Library to read up law, insurance law and other matters. He told crown counsel he did not know that the insurance companies were going to resist his probate action. “This motion you were taking out to presume Jenny’s death?”