A Bersih 3.0 participant who accused police of beating him up is now refusing to provide further statements to investigate his allegations of brutality.
PETALING JAYA: Police have urged the Bersih 3.0 participant and alleged “police torture” victim Mohd Safuan Mamat to come forward so that a statement can be recorded to investigate his case.
“My men have called him to come forward so that we can take further statements from him on the latest allegation, but he is not cooperating.
“He said that we should just talk to his lawyer. If you don’t help us, how are we to help you?” Kuala Lumpur CID chief Ku Chin Wah told FMT yesterday.
It is understood that Safuan will not give any police statements upon the advice of his lawyers, who would only cooperate if an independent panel is formed. They also plan to bring his case up to Suhakam.
Safuan’s lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri told FMT that her client is intentionally ignoring the police.
“We have advised our client not to give any statements to the police unless we get an independent panel from Bukit Aman to look into his case. Anyway, we’ll be bringing his case, together with others, to Suhakam,” said Fadiah, an activist for Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).
Excessive force
Fadiah said that LFL, together with Bersih 3.0 and other supporting NGOs, have managed to collect more than 70 cases of participants who have complained of excessive force used by police on April 28.
“This is more than the 20 or so cases during Bersih 2.0. But I believe there are more people out there but they are scared [to show up]. I urge them to come forward, contact us, and we’ll protect you,” said Fadiah.
Safuan, a 24-year-old technician, alleged that he was detained overnight on Monday and beaten up after he voluntarily went to the police station to give his statement about his participation in the rally.
He lodged a report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters on Tuesday.
In his report, Safuan claimed that after recording his statement a plainclothes officer took him to a lock-up behind the station and threatened to detain him if he did not “confess”.
Safuan claimed that he was kicked and was forced him to admit that he had damaged a police car during the rally. When he denied the accusation, the officer allegedly struck his face with a metal pipe and hit his shoulders.
Earlier on Tuesday, Safuan was brought to a Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur to face two charges.
Safuan was charged with causing mischief during the disturbances and for not obeying an order of a public servant under Sections 440 and 174 of the Penal Code, respectively.
For the first charge, he can be jailed for five years and fined, or both, and for the second charge, he faces a one-month imprisonment and a fine or both. He was released after posting a RM1,500 bail.
His court hearing is fixed for June 6.
By Teoh El Sen | May 17, 2012
www.freemalaysiatoday.com