Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Huzir Mohamed said summoning opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for questioning over a purported recording of a conversation is part of normal procedure.
He said there are already 18 police reports lodged calling for an investigation over the recording – 17 by politicians and one by a member of the public.
The complaints urge the police to determine the veracity of the recordings or the possibility that someone may have forged them to cause public alarm and disharmony between certain political parties.
Huzir said that going by thousands of comments left by netizens, the purported recording has caused concern in society as well as various kinds of negative perceptions since it involved two prominent politicians, the other being Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Summoning Anwar (above) for questioning is normal procedure to complete the investigation.
“Anwar’s statement is needed to assist investigations on the extent to which the audio recording can be verified as a conversation between him and Zahid.
“Detailed investigation is also needed to identify the individual who made the audio recording, the motive for disseminating it, and whether certain quarters have modified the recording to cause public alarm,” he said.
His statement came after Anwar was summoned to Bukit Aman this morning for about one-and-half hours of questioning over the purported recording.
After emerging from the police headquarters, Anwar accused the police of double standards for investigating the purported clip between him and Zahid.
He pointed out that another widely circulated audio clip that supposedly contained the voices of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin was not investigated by the police.
“In my statement, I mentioned a viral audio recording allegedly showing Muhyiddin talking about the scheme of things, bribes, GLC appointment, and so on.
“Has there been any investigation?” he asked.
For the record, both Anwar and Zahid had previously denied the voices heard in the recording are theirs. However, they have not lodged police reports on the matter despite saying they would do so.
In the latest recording that lasted four minutes and 17 seconds, a voice of a person who sounded like Anwar praised the person who sounded like Zahid over the latter's handling of the Umno general assembly.
Meanwhile, confirming that Anwar had been questioned, Huzir said the investigation is being conducted under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
The provision criminalises the making and circulation of statements that may cause “fear or alarm to the public, or any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity”.
The recording is also being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 that deals with abuse of network facilities. - Mkini
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