Authenticity of sex video a red herring from the IGP, says Surendran

PKR has called on the Inspect General of Police not to "dance to the tune of the BN" and to remain impartial and professional in probing the sex video tape that allegedly shows Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim having sex with a female prostitute.

"We call upon the IGP and AG to stop the delaying tactics and to take action against the real criminals in the sex video fiasco immediately," PKR vice president N Surendran said in a statement issued on Friday.

Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar had in the morning suddenly confirmed that the tape had not been "doctored" but refused to tell if the man in it was Anwar.

Half-truths

Ismail was immediately condemned for telling 'half-truths' to help the Umno elite smear Anwar, the only politician in the country rated with a viable chance to topple their long-held grip on the country.

Indeed, PKR and other Pakatan politicians have warned that Umno would try to shift the focus of the tape over to its authenticity rather than if the man was really Anwar.

"Today the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar rushed to make a statement that the ' Datuk T ' sex video is allegedly authentic. This announcement in no way proves that Opposition leader Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the person appearing in the sex video," said Surendran, who is also a well-known human rights lawyer.

"From the very first instance, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated categorically and unambiguously that he is not the person in the sex video. The issue of the authenticity of the video is a red herring, and a politically motivated attempt at confusing the issue so as to smear and tarnish Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim's reputation."

He pointed out the police already had enough evidence to arrest and charge the three men who 'discovered the tape' and opted to screen it to a group of journalists and selected PKR leaders instead of immediately handing the tape over to the police.

Keeping and showing pornographic material is a crime in Malaysia, punishable with up to 5 years imprisonment.

"What is of real public concern is why the police and A-G's Chambers have yet to institute criminal proceedings against the three persons who have publicly confessed to being guilty of possessing and publicly exhibiting the obscene video which are offences under s.292 Penal Code and s.5 Film Censorship Act 2002," asked Surendran.

More than enough evidence to charge Datuk T trio

The video surfaced last month soon after Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud had dissolved the state assembly to pave way for the much-anticipated polls. While the BN is expected to retain power, Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat is expected to hammer through an electoral beating that will shake public confidence in Najib and his team.

Three men calling themselves the Datuk T trio - namely former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Shazryl Eskay and Perkasa treasurer Shuaib Lazim - have confessed to 'discovering' the video which is believed to have been shot at a hotel room in Thailand using four cameras.

They took it upon themselves to book a conference suite at swanky Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel and invited reporters and senior editors to watch the clip. The trio have claimed that their objective was to expose Anwar's immorality so that Malaysians would not be duped by him.

Meanwhile, they had also invited several PKR MPs to watch the tape. PKR MP for Sungai Petani Johari Abdul was the first to expose them. Johari has also said it was "100 per cent confirmed" the man was not Anwar, adding that it could be Shazryl who bears a distinct facial resemblance to the Opposition Leader.

Johari also said Rahim had asked him to leave PKR after showing him the tape, and also offerd him 'financial security' if he did so.

So far, all three men have had their statements taken by the police, who have refused to arrest them Ismail asking, "on what penalty?"

"Why the special treatment meted out to these particular offenders? Unusually, the IGP made his announcement on the aspect of the authenticity of the video despite admitting also that the probe on the sex video is not yet complete," Surendran pointed out. - Malaysia Chronicle