EAIC: CCTV footage proves Namewee wrong

Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission conducts a surprise inspection of the jail on Monday, and finds cells to be in a good and clean condition.

PETALING JAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has rubbished controversial rapper Namewee’s claims of deplorable jail conditions in the Bayan Baru central lockup in Penang.

Its chairman Yaacob Md Sam suggested that Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, may not have told the truth when claiming to have been locked up with 15 unhealthy Myanmar migrants who were detained for more than 30 days.

The EAIC, Yaacob said, conducted a surprise inspection of the facility on Monday, and found the cells to be in good and clean condition.

Based on CCTV footage, he said Namewee was placed with only seven Myanmar and five Nepali migrants for two hours before being moved to his own cell.

“(When Namewee was locked up on) Aug 22, the Myanmar detainees had only been in the cell for nine days,” Yaacob said in statement today, adding that their detention ended four days later on Aug 26.

The EAIC chief also rebutted Namewee’s claims that the detainees were in poor health, and could have died if not given medical attention.

“(CCTV footage) found that the foreign detainees were normal and there was nothing unusual going on.

“When they were ordered to move (to another cell), CCTV recordings found that the foreign detainees all walked normally and showed no signs of being sick.”

He said the EAIC was satisfied with how the Bayan Baru facility was being operated, which was in line with the police’s standard operating procedures.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar had also earlier denied Namewee’s allegations.

Namewee was earlier reported to have made the claims based on his observation while in police custody for investigation into his music video that allegedly insulted Islam.

He had, through his Facebook account on Aug 27, claimed he and the migrants were detained in a small room that was in a deplorable state.

He said he also believed that some of the foreign detainees may have died in custody as they were not provided with necessary medical attention.

Penang police chief Comm Abdul Ghafar Rajab denied Namewee’s allegations, saying the police had treated him well during his four-day remand.