Mahmud Jumaat said police had brought Ismanira Abdul Manaf to court today to record a certain “confession” under Section 26(1) of the Evidence Act 1950.

Section 26(1) of the Evidence Act states that no confession made by anyone while under police custody shall be proved as against that person unless it is made in the presence of a sessions court judge or magistrate.

“But what is interesting here is that Ismanira didn’t make a confession. Instead, she provided a statement to the magistrate,” he told a press conference after proceedings today.

Mahmud urged the public against speculating on the case, especially in linking Ismanira and her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, to Zayn’s murder.

Meanwhile, Zaim’s lawyer Fahmi Moin lamented the police’s lack of cooperation with the couple’s lawyers, saying they only knew that Ismanira was being brought to court today after being informed by the media.

“We arrived here at 11am only to learn later that the proceedings could have taken place as early as 9.30am, where Ismanira was brought to the magistrates’ court for a confession to be made,” he said.

Proceedings began at about 11am and continued for an hour before magistrate Zhafran Rahim Hamzah.

Fahmi claimed that the proceedings were prejudiced against Zaim as they could affect his client’s defence in the event that Ismanira is charged.

He said the magistrate had recorded their objection on the matter, and argued that the section under the Evidence Act was not relevant to the murder investigation.

Zayn was reported missing in Damansara Damai on Dec 5 last year. He was found dead the next day about 200m from his apartment block. The post-mortem revealed multiple injuries, including defensive wounds, while the cause of death was believed to be strangulation.

Zaim and Ismanira were arrested and remanded from June 1 to assist in the murder probe under Section 302 of the Penal Code.