Bar to IGP: Court case not an excuse to ignore EAIC report

The ongoing criminal proceedings against four police officers accused of causing the death of N Dharmendran is not an excuse to ignore calls for further actions to be taken against others who were also allegedly involved, the Bar Council stressed today.

Its chairperson Steven Thiru said this in response to inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar who said last week that the ongoing proceedings have rendered it sub judice for the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) to investigate the death in custody case.

“The IGP’s response to the EAIC report is most disappointing.

“We are all aware that there are provisions under the EAIC Act for the commission to proceed with its investigations, irrespective of whether there is a case pending in court,” Thiru said in his opening speech at a Bar Council roundtable discussion on promoting greater police accountability.

The EAIC in its report released on April 28 had recommended that the Attorney-General’s Chambers files charges against police personnel who were found to have fabricated false information in the lock-up diary involving Dharmendran.

[More to follow]

-Mkini