Govt trying to stall hearing of EO6

Government engaging in delay tactics until detention order to Simpang Renggam is issued, says counsel Edmund Bon.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry, in an attempt to stall the hearing, has applied for an adjournment of the habeas corpus hearing of PSM’s EO6 scheduled for tomorrow.

“They have asked for an adjournment to seek time to reply to our affidavits. It’s an obvious attempt to stall the hearing of the habeas corpus,” said Edmund Bon, counsel for the six.

Bon, believes the authorities want to drag the case until Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein signs an order to place them under detention in Simpang Renggam.

He revealed this at a forum themed ‘EO Another ISA – Political tool for the government’ held at the Bar Council last night. It was attended by 200 participants.

The EO6, as they are now known, are Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, PSM deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sugumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan.

The six were part of a group of 30 PSM activists whom police arrested at the Sungai Dua toll plaza in Kepala Batas, Penang while on their nationwide roadshow to call the rakyat to vote for change.

They were rearrested on July 2 under section 3 (1) Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 (EO), after they were originally detained under section 122 of the Penal Code for allegedly ‘waging war against the King’ and spreading ‘communist ideology’.

In total the government has filed 37 affidavits as opposed to defence team’s 20.

Bon listed out several facts to absolve the six of any charges, one of which was that their detention by the authorities was to prevent the Bersih rally from taking place.

He said the rally ended on July 9, thus their continued detention doesn’t hold water.

Anoher was that the methods used to extract statements from the six mirrored methods used during Reformasi and was declared as mala fide by Federal Court.

In a related development, Bon said that Bersih steering committee member Dr Subramaniam Pillay will be filing an affidavit today at the KL High Court stating that the six had nothing to do with Bersih 2.0′s Walk for Democracy.