(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The statement by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai that he would personally look into the complaint that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers were not given access to him is most welcome but why was this necessary when the High Court had given clear directive to allow the lawyers full access to Anwar to prepare for the Deputy Prime Minister’s defence to very serious charges of corruption?
This would indicate that every aspect of Anwar’s detention under the Internal Security Act involves the highest police authorities and raises the question about the actual circumstances resulting in the black eye for Anwar on the first night of his arrest on Sept. 20 as a result of police beatings in a Bukit Aman police lock-up.
The top police authorities should give serious consideration to mounting national and international demands that there should be a fully independent investigation into Anwar’s black eye and bruises while in police custody, and be forewarned that the police will be putting themselves in a very invidious position where the outcome of its investigations into Anwar’s allegation of police brutality could be doubted and questioned in national and international circles as lacking credibility.
Before more damage is done, the Police should publicly agree to hand over all investigations into Anwar’s allegations of police brutality while under police custody to a completely independent body.
(9/10/98)