From Malaysiakini please read ; Mechanic: Gun pointed at my head to force confession

Malaysiakini  Hafiz Yatim  3:19PM Feb 20, 2012
A 42-year-old mechanic has claimed that he was stopped and assaulted by eight Rela personnel after filling petrol in his car in Kajang four days ago.

On top of that, when the Rela officers turned him in to the Taming Jaya police station, he was assaulted by four police personnel who allegedly wanted him to admit to car and lorry theft.

S Mogan (left), of Balakong, said his ordeal began about 5am before he was to meet a friend who had sought his help at his workshop and house.

“I decided to fill up my car with petrol as I wanted to send my children to school soon after. As soon as I filled up, I was stopped by the Rela personnel who accused me of car theft,” he said at a press conference today.

“They searched my Nissan Sunny car and saw that I had many spare parts. I told them that I am a mechanic but this was met with one of them using a metal rod to hit my left leg. Then the other Rela personnel assaulted me, punching and kicking me on the body and in the back.”

Mogan said he was then taken to the Taming Jaya police station by the Rela personnel where they told the police that he was a drug addict.

There, the police personnel allegedly assaulted him with a water hose and hit him on the feet, to get him to confess to stealing cars and lorries.

“At one point, one of them pointed a gun at my head, threatening to kill me if I did not confess. The police officers showed me vehicles (outside the police station that they said) had been stolen. (They said the cases) remained unsolved and (that they) would put the blame on me to have the cases closed.

“They continued to beat me on the feet and shouted verbal abuse. I was in severe pain as I suspected that my left leg had been fractured by the use of the iron rod.

“When they pointed the gun at my head, I told them to shoot me as I could not stand the pain. They wanted me to sign a blank letter but I refused.”

Mogan, who said he was held at Taming Jaya from 6am to 9am, was taken to the Kajang district police station where a police officer put him through a urine test.

Mogan, who is married and has three children, said the officer also checked his background and noticed that he does not have a criminal record.

“As the urine test proved to be negative and as I do not possess any criminal record, the officer decided to release me. He told me to seek medical treatment and to come back to lodge a police report afterwards.”

Losses of RM5,000

That afternoon, after seeking medical treatment, he went to retrieve his car from the Taming Jaya police station and noticed that the spare parts, spare battery, alternator, and tools were missing.

“I had RM1,300 in my wallet, which was given to the police, but the money is missing. My Nokia handphone and other spare parts like spark plugs are also missing. I estimate my loss to be in the range of RM5,000,” he said.

“I have lodged a police report soon as I wanted the police to investigate the matter. There are receipts for all the items at my workshop. If the items are from stolen vehicles, come and prove it to me.”

He claimed that his injuries have caused bruises all over his body, a fracture to his left leg, and slight difficulty in hearing.

Mogan said a police officer had taken photos of his injuries yesterday.

“I am scared as one of the police officers in Taming Jaya warned me that they will watch me closely. I fear for my life,” he said.

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar (right), who was present, said there has been a concerted effort by the authorities to pick up Indian Malaysians and to try to force confessions out of them to resolve crime.

“Hindraf does not condone crime but we are concerned if the Rela and police are going about this in such a way as to force a confession. This is illegal and worrying and we want the inspector-general of police (IGP) and the attorney-general (AG) to investigate the matter,” he said.

“For this reason, I have written to the AG and IGP today to investigate this allegation. Mogan does not have a criminal record as verified by the Kajang police but why subject him to such treatment?”

Uthayakumar said Hindraf wants to see the formation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission as proposed by former Chief Justice Mohd Dzaiddin Abdullah.