PKR supreme council member Latheefa Koya said police are suspected of trying
to cover up an extra-judiciary killing last week by “harassing” eye-witnesses
and the deceased’s friends and relatives.
In a press conference today, Latheefa (
right) said
that four people who witnessed the fatal shooting of D Dinesh, 26, in Ampang on
Aug 21 have been re-arrested and sent to the Sea Park police station after their
remand order ceased on Aug 25.
“This is what is called ‘chain smoking
remand’ (
tukar gari). If the police can’t get an extension of remand,
they pass (the suspect) to another set of police... defying the magistrate’s
order,” she said.
She added that two of Dinesh’s cousins and four of his
friends who visited him while he was in Hospital Ampang were nabbed there, and
released last night after four days in remand.
“They were nowhere near
the shootout. If (police) did nothing wrong, there is no reason to do this,” she
said.
Dinesh died from close range gunshot wounds to the head and arm
two days after the shooting, which police claim happened after patrolling
officers were attacked with a parang.
Ampang Jaya district deputy police
chief Md. Nazri Zawawi was reported by dailies
Kosmo! and
Harian
Metro as saying that the car which Dinesh was in tried to rear-end a patrol
car.
He also said that those in the car, allegedly from the Viva Nanda
gang, also smashed the patrol car’s windscreen with parangs.
The group
were said to be involved in a gang fight in Pandan Perdana earlier, and was on
the way there to resume the fight when intercepted at about 2 am.
When
contacted, Ampang OCPD Amiruddin Jamaluddin, who is still on leave, said that he
stands by his deputy’s statement but vows to conduct a “thorough
investigation”.
According to PKR vice-president N Surendran
(left in
photo), the police statement on the matter already smells of a cover-up as
eyewitnesses said Dinesh was
unarmed and retreating when he was shot.
He said that instead of trying to cover up the matter, police should
classify the case as murder, suspend all personnel who were involved and begin
investigation.
“They are interfering with key witnesses. I am warning the
home minister and the inspector-general of police...We have other witnesses. Do
no touch, harass or intimidate these witnesses.
“If they try to go after
these witnesses, or you’ll face street protests,” he said.
‘No change since Aminulrasyid’Latheefa added that
the reaction from the police has not changed since the fatal shooting of
14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah, despite vows to review the police standard
operating procedure.
“Since then we have had other shootings, like the
Glenmarie shootings which involved three youths who were also claimed to be part
of a gang. The parang said to be found in Aminulrasyid’s car is also still
unaccounted for,” she said.
Like the family of Aminulrasyid and the three
youths gunned down in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Dinesh’s family members who were
present today refuted claims that the deceased was part of a gang.
“My
son is a very pious and simple boy. He won’t do anything like this. I want
justice, I want the person (responsible) to be charged,” his father W Dharmasena
said.
Echoing Dharmasena was his son Rajan (
right in
photo), who, while weeping, defended his brother’s innocence.
“My
brother was always teaching me how to do business. I didn’t expect things to end
up like this. I want justice for him. Please,” he pleaded, alongside his mother
Florence Abeyesekera and sister Sharon.
Citing statistics provided in Parliament, Kapar MP S Manickavasagam today
said that from 2000 to 2009, 279 people have been shot dead by police, the bulk
of whom are Indonesian nationals.
The written answer by Home Minister
Hishammuddin Hussein said this is in accordance to the Criminal Procedure Code
and Inspector-General of Police’s Standing Order.
However, Subang MP
Sivarasa Rasiah said that the figure could be understated.
“In 2008
alone, the police figures state that 27 people were shot, but human rights NGO
Suaram documented at least 44 cases in that year alone and it is published in
their documents.
“Meanwhile, the Human Rights Party which also monitors
this, found 82 cases in the same year,” he said.
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