Attack on coffeeshop worker: No cover-up, say police
In another incident, a company director linked Taib Mahmud was released on bail following a three-day remand for attacking a NCR landowner.
Joseph Tawie, FMT
KUCHING: Kuching police chief ACP Roslan Ahmad has given an assurance that there will be no cover-up of a case involving a police inspector attached to the 11th battalion of the General Operations (GOF) who was caught on CCTV assaulting a 21-year-old youth in Batu Kawah area last week.
The youth, Andrewson Ngalai, a coffeeshop worker, and his friends were reportedly attacked by the police inspector and some gangsters in the early hours of March 14.
Roslan told reporters today that the police inspector and two of gangsters have been detained.
“He has been arrested together with two men aged 22 and 39. The six handphone sets robbed by them have also been confiscated,” he said, adding that all were currently under remand until March 21 pending an investigation.
The police inspector not only aided and abetted a group of gangsters in assaulting Andrewson but also slapped him.
The inspector’s actions was caught on a CCTV camera in a coffeeshop at MJC Batu Kawah where Andrewson works.
Following the incident, Andrewson lodged a report at the Kawah police station.
In his report, he said he was attacked with a iron rod while the officer watched.
He also said the thugs demanded that he and his friends pay RM500 each for a handphone set as well as an “ang pow” to settle the case.
“All this happened in front of the police officer,” Andrewson said reportedly said.
He added that the police also advised him not to mention the police inspector in his report.
Andrewson said that after lodging the report against the gangsters, he received a threatening call from the inspector to withdraw it.
Fearing for his safety, he approached Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen for advice and was told to lodge a report against the inspector.
Released on bail
Meanwhile, in Serian this morning, a director of a company linked to Taib Mahmud’s Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Party (PBB) – Andrew Wong – was released on police bail after a three-day remand.
Wong, a director of United Teamtrade Sdn Bhd, had attacked Surik Anak Muntai, a native customary rights land owner last Friday. He is closely linked to two PBB leaders – a senior minister and another assistant minister.
Three other security personnel of the company, who had aided Wong, are however still at large.
Surik, who was slashed on the head, also suffered a broken arm and legs. He is admitted at the Sarawak General Hospital.
