Lawyer Latheefa Koya said a 20-year-old man was allegedly beaten and burned by police during an arrest, only for officers to admit later that they had detained the wrong person.
Speaking to a press conference at Lawyers for Liberty’s office in Petaling Jaya today, the former MACC chief commissioner was armed with CCTV recordings taken from the victim's grandfather's house in Banting, Selangor, where he was arrested on Nov 15.
The recordings depicted police officers purportedly slapping the victim, who wished to be known only as Wan Muhammad Daniel.
Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who was present, explained that the original CCTV recordings, which are much clearer, have been handed over to the police as evidence, while the clips displayed were copies.
Daniel, who also attended the press conference, claimed that he was further abused during his detention at the Bandar Kinrara police station in Puchong, Selangor.
"He (one of the police officers) took a lighter, he held the flame near my genitals," he alleged.
Latheefa added that the police officers had also allegedly burned Daniel’s lower lip with the butt of a lit cigarette.
Despite all this, she said, they were later informed by the police that Daniel's case was classified as "no further action" (NFA).
"We have to understand, what happened to Daniel was a case of mistaken identity.
"Not only did Daniel deny it, but the police themselves said that it was actually a mistake. A mistake, but the beating, the assault and so on had happened from the beginning.
"Whether he denied it or not, the beating and so on had already happened," she said.
Seeking justice
Daniel's mother was also present, and she claimed that when she attempted to initially lodge a police report, the officer tried to obstruct her.
"If I withdraw my report on my son's case, the officer said they will extinguish my son's case.
"Then the officer said if I continue my report, the police officers involved will only be jailed for two years and fined RM2,000.
"But they will reopen my son's case, and he will be jailed for 14 years," she alleged.
Rajesh further said that Daniel was brought to a hospital after being released on Nov 18, and the medical officer issued a report that corroborated with Daniel’s claims.
The list of injuries included a soft tissue injury over his right shoulder, multiple abrasion wounds on his leg, and burn marks on his lower lip.
Speaking on their next steps, Rajesh said Daniel's legal team intends to seek justice for him in court.
"We want the police officers who beat our client, Daniel, to be brought to justice and charged with at least assault and battery," he said.
He also urged the federal police Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) to impose disciplinary action on the police officers.
Renewed calls for IPCMC
Recent cases of police negligence and brutality have fuelled calls for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
Malaysiakini previously reported that a woman from Selangor is seeking clarity from authorities due to alleged serious lapses in how the police handled her case after she lodged a report on a traumatic sexual attack she suffered at the hands of a former neighbour.
Last month, the police shot and killed three men in Durian Tunggal, Malacca, after one of them allegedly attacked a police officer with a machete in an oil palm plantation.
Critics say that the existing Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), which came into force in June 2023, is a "toothless" piece of legislation, particularly in comparison with the IPCMC.
A key difference between the IPCMC and the IPCC is that the latter cannot take any action against errant police officers. Instead, action must be referred to the Police Force Commission or other relevant authorities.
The IPCC is also unable to review complaints of police officers who do not comply with rules or standard operating procedures, who do not justify their actions when justification should be provided, and who commit criminal offences. - Mkini
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