Tian Chua questions IGP's logic over sex video

PKR vice-president Tian Chua today questioned the logic behind inspector general of police Ismail Omar's announcement that the police will investigating PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim for lodging a false police report on the infamous Datuk T sex video.

Tian Chua (left) said he was “quite surprised” by Ismail's announcement yesterday, especially since the identity of the man in the sex video has yet to be established.

“I'm quite surprised we have an IGP who appears to not know criminal investigation procedure. Is he now saying they have completed investigations, to say that the man in the video is Anwar?” Tian Chua said at a press conference today.

Yesterday, Ismail said the police intend to investigate Anwar for allegedly lodging a false police report in the latter's denial of claims that he was the man caught on video having a tryst with a prostitute at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Responding to a question from pro-government television station TV3, Ismail noted however that the investigations will only commence after Anwar's on-going second sodomy trial is concluded.

Tian Chua scoffed at Ismail's announcement, saying that it is as if the law is being applied differently to Anwar.

He implied that Ismail's announcement was illogical and would pre-empt the results of on-going investigations into the widely circulated sex video, and brings into question the latter's credibility and professionalism as the country's top cop.

“Soon they are going to investigate false reports on house break-ins, just in case you did not tell the truth about the identity of the robber. What logic is the IGP using?” Tian Chua said.

Police act for the 'political few'

Vice-president Nurul Izzah, who is also Anwar's eldest daughter, declined to comment much on Ismail's statement, stressing that there are far more important issues besides politicking for the country's leaders to deal with, particularly getting the Malaysian economy ready to face an impending global financial slowdown.

However, she did shoot a barb at the police, accusing them of making it clear that their motivations were catered for the benefit of those in power.

“It speaks volumes of the Royal Malaysian Police, who act not for the rakyat but for the political few,” she said.

The sex video first made headlines in March this year, when a select group of journalists were invited by a group - who went by the moniker Datuk T - for a screening of the black-and-white video, which showed a man allegedly resembling Anwar having sex with a woman.

Anwar lodged a police report a day after the sex video was screened, denying it was him. Opposition politicians also repeatedly defended the parliamentary opposition leader, accusing Umno of using this as a ploy to discredit him.

Datuk T, who later revealed themselves to be former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, businessperson Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and former Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim, were eventuallyfined a total of RM5,500 by a magistrate's court last June for screening the video.