July 1, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR (July 1): Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this afternoon lodged a police report alleging that several senior government officials were involved in fabricating evidence in the infamous 1998 black-eye case.
Anwar lodged the report at the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam, saying it was based on fresh evidence he had received on the assault on Sept 20, 1998.
Copies of his three-page report were distributed to reporters at a press conference at the PKR office in Tropicana later.
After Anwar lodged a report of being assaulted in 1998, former IGP Tan Sri Rahim Noor was charged with the assault and pleaded guilty. He was jailed for two months and fined RM2,000.
Anwar today called for fresh investigations into the alleged evidence fabrication — an offence under the Penal Code, for which the penalty is a jail term of up to seven years.
He named current Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, one Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof and Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim (then investigating officer into his case) as the people who should be probed for the truth to be known.
His report alleged that:
> the investigating officer ACP Mat Zain Ibrahim (now Datuk) had conducted a thorough investigation and prepared an investigation paper (IP) which was given by October 1998 to the former Attorney General, the late Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah, and his team which included Gani.
> the IP concluded that Rahim Noor was the prepetrator of the assault, based on a thorough investigation which included the medical reports by KL Hospital forensic specialists such as Dr Ab Halim Mansar and Dr Zahari Noor and statement from at least 60 witnesses.
> the medical reports concluded that the injury inflicted on Anwar was consistent with an assault.
> despite the contents of the IP and medical reports already available, Mohtar with the assistance of Gani procured the services of Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof, who in an undated and second report speaks of a ‘reconstruction of the scene’ on Dec 14 that year.
> it is an undisputable fact that Dr Rahman’s reports in relation to the assault on Anwar were done without actually examining him.
> Mohtar in a press statement on Jan 5, 1999 appeared to accept the views of Dr Rahman on the so-called “inconsistencies” in the other medical reports by the doctors who had actually, physically examined Anwar.
> Mohtar’s press statement stated that the investigation which had been carried out did not identify the person or persons responsible for his injuries. This was inconsistent with the IP which had already concluded in October 1998 that it was Rahim Noor who assaulted him.
Anwar said as the police investigation done by Mat Zain had apparently not led to any conclusion, there was a public outcry and demand for a Royal Commission, which was then set up.
Anwar alleged Mohtar had also made a false statement that the IP was submitted to him on Nov 19, 1998.
He claimed that Musa and Gani were present in Bukit Aman on Sept 20 1998 and knew about the assault by Rahim Noor on him.
“I believe Musa and Gani were actively involved in the procuring of the second undated report by Dr Rahman which makes false and incredible conclusions such as ‘the patern and nature of the injuries are not consistent with a direct blow’, accidental nature of injuries could not be ruled out and self-inflicted nature of the injury should be considered.
“They gave the instructions to Dr Rahman to proceed to write this second report and were acting under the direction and/or jointly with Mohtar.
“The facts show that Musa, Gani and Mat Zain who according to Dr Rahman’s second report, accompanied him to the cell in Bukit Aman where I was detained and participated in the reconstruction of the scene) conspired with Dr Rahman to procure the production of this second report. This was done so that my police report on Sept 27 1998 in respect of the assault would be regarded as false.”
In his report, Anwar also attached a press statement by Mohtar issued on Jan 5 1999, the notes of proceedings in the report of the Royal Commission of the evidence of Dr Rahman and the second undated report produced by Dr Rahman exhibited in the Commission report.
Earlier in Shah Alam, Anwar arrived at the Selangor police headquarters about 2.50pm, accompanied by his lawyer Sankara Nair.
Party vice president R. Sivarasa and treasurer William Leong arrived much earlier. They were joined by about 50 supporters including Anwar’s daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah, Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan, Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff, Selangor State Assembly deputy speaker and Taman Medan state assemblywoman Haniza Talha who were all barred entry into the station.
Anwar left after about 30 minutes.