Hamzah refuses to answer if ex-IGP called in about ‘dirty cops’ claim

 

Hamzah Zainudin chided Ramkarpal Singh for treating him like a witness in court.

KUALA LUMPUR: Home minister Hamzah Zainudin refused to give a clear answer despite repeated questions from Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) as to whether former inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador had been asked to give a statement following his explosive allegation that a cartel of “dirty cops” existed within the police force.

In a fiesty exchange at the Dewan Rakyat, the Larut MP was first asked by Charles Santiago (PH-Klang) whether the former top cop was lying about the allegations he made on the eve of his retirement in March. This was after the home ministry last week said that a police investigation found no basis for Hamid’s claim.

“I’m not saying the (former) IGP is lying. The police have done their investigation and they did not find anything. So we will leave it to the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) for now, and once they have made their report, then we will see if the (former) IGP was lying,” Hamzah said.

This was followed by a question from R Sivarasa (PH-Sungai Buloh), who wanted to know whether the ex-IGP had been called in to assist in the investigation by Bukit Aman and to provide information.

Ramkarpal then interjected, also asking whether the police had taken a statement from the former top cop.

Ramkarpal: That’s very important as he is the person who made the claim.

Hamzah: I want to make it clear here that the police have done an investigation, and when they do an investigation, surely we will invite all those involved to get their statements. What is raised after that, we will leave it to EAIC to investigate further, and after that we will take action.

Ramkarpal: YB, just a “yes” or “no”. Has a statement been taken from the (former) IGP?

Hamzah: I have replied, that’s all. This is not a court case, this is not in the court.

Ramkarpal: No, this is all in the KDN’s (home ministry’s) knowledge. We are just asking a “yes” or “no” question. Was a statement taken from him (Hamid)?

Hamzah: This is not your time to be asking me that kind of question, this is the time for me to give you the answer. You sit down, and as I said just now….

Ramkarpal: It is for me to ask the question.

Hamzah: If you want to accept my answer, you accept it. If you don’t want to accept it….

Ramkarpal: How can I accept something which you are not answering? It’s a “yes” or “no”. Was a statement taken from him?

Hamzah: I want to make a few things clear. As I said just now, we will be taking statements from all of those involved.

Ramkarpal: So it’s already been taken? Is that what you are saying? Is that the answer? That is all we are asking for.

Hamzah: Ok YB. This is not a court where you can ask me that kind of question. I have already answered you and you can take….

Ramkarpal: Your answer is no answer, with respect.

Hamzah: Ok.

Hamzah then moved on to the topic of the establishment of an independent body to investigate cases surrounding integrity.

Before his retirement in March, Hamid had claimed there was a cartel of senior officers who had been working with criminals to depose him as the IGP.

His successor, Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, had said in May that the EAIC was looking into the matter, but there has still not been any update on its probe. - FMT