Police probe against Mujahid above board, say lawyers

(FMT) – Police were acting within the parameters of the law when they called Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa for investigation for questioning the appointment of Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister in March, a lawyer said.

Baljit Sidhu said the police had the discretion to approach a witness or suspect in an investigation over an incident that happened a long time ago.

“Police have total control and direction over investigation under the Criminal Procedure Code,” he said.

Baljit was responding to Mujahid’s query on why the investigation was being conducted months after he allegedly made the remarks after the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government in March.

The Parit Buntar MP said he was being investigated under the Sedition Act, Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“I don’t know why it took so long for police to investigate the matter,” he said when met outside Bukit Aman yesterday evening after he was questioned for more than an hour.

Baljit said there might be a host of reasons as to why the police called Mujahid to record his statement after so long, but Mujahid was entitled to have his own perception on the matter.

“However, police have acted within the boundaries of the law in conducting their probe,” he said.

Deputy CID director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid confirmed yesterday the investigation was being carried out by the D5 Classified Criminal Investigation Unit following the receipt of a report by Bukit Aman on an “old issue”.

In March, a police report had been lodged against Mujahid and fellow Amanah MP Khalid Abdul Samad over a statement deemed to be questioning the King’s decision to appoint Muhyiddin as prime minister.

Meanwhile, lawyer SN Nair said there was no limitation period in criminal investigations and police would “digest’ a report before recording statements from witnesses and suspects.

“In seizable offences, police could decide from whom statements need to be recorded first or later,” he said, adding that the conduct of investigators in Mujahid’s case was not unusual.

Nair said it was up to the police to investigate a report while the public prosecutor made the decision on whether to frame charges against suspects.