Police blamed for Zahid’s triad letter to FBI
Umno lawyer says ‘big mistake’ by police about 14K Triad and accused gambling czar Paul Phua.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Malaysian police were blamed today for making a “big mistake” about alleged gambling czar Paul Phua which led to a letter by the Home Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, interceding with the FBI on Phua’s behalf.
High-profile Umno lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said Zahid’s letter was to correct the information by Malaysian police to the FBI that Phua was a member of the 14K Triad.
Zahid’s Dec 18 letter to the FBI states that Phua is not a member of the 14K Triad.
The FBI had described the 14K Triad as a Hong Kong-based transnational organised crime entity. It submitted an internal document to the courts in US which it said Malaysian police had informed the agency’s representative in Malaysia in 2008 that Phua was a 14K member.
Phua is on trial in the US for allegedly running an illegal gambling operation in Las Vegas.
At today’s press conference, Shafee repeatedly said the 14K Triad does not exist in Malaysia, according to a Malaysiakini report.
“I think, because the mistake is very big, it affects people’s liberty, (therefore), the minister found it quite necessary to correct the situation,” Shafee was quoted as saying. He agreed that the 2008 report by Malaysian police about Phua was wrong.
Shafee said he had been informed by a very senior police official (“from the horse’s mouth,” he said).
A US law firm acting for Phua had sought his help to clarify Phua’s background, he told reporters. He had previously advised them about extradition matters, related to Phua’s case.
He said he had written in August to Ahmad Zahid (who is also an Umno vice-president), stating Phua’s full name and the subject of the inquiry, and asked the minister to clarify if Paul Phua was a member of the 14K Triad in Malaysia.
