Police Janus?

The Utusan Melayu, a Malay language daily, reporting on the case of 60-year old Cheng Pik Wai, who alleged that she was made to strip naked and to pirouette for the sadistic entertainment of 3 policewomen at a police station, tells us a different story, that of a very nasty Cheng Pik Wai.

Pik Wai had earlier claimed that, apart from being ordered to strip naked, she suffered RM200 stolen from her handbag by the police. Also, a policewomen named Samsiah had demanded her ATM card plus the pin number.

Utusan Melayu said: "Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Dang Wangi, Supritendan Mohd. Rodzi Ismail berkata, wanita berkenaan, Cheng Pik Wai langsung tidak berterima kasih di atas bantuan yang telah diberikan oleh pihak polis berhubung tuduhan mencuri dalam bangunan pada 11 Mac lalu."

Rough translation:
The Dang Wangi district Deputy OCPD Superrintendant Mohd Rodzi Ismail said Cheng Pik Wai didn't even thank the police for their assistance to her in relation to her alleged shoplifting on 11 March.

"Selepas ditahan, Pik Wai telah merayu beberapa kali supaya tempoh jaminannya dilanjut bagi membolehkan kesnya diselesaikan di luar mahkamah."

When apprehended, Pik Wai begged several times for bail to enable her to settle the case privately [outside the court]

KTemoc notes in the Utusan Melayu, the deputy OCPD gave a detailed account of a couple of extensions to her bail.

"Polis yang bersimpati dan menghormati dia (Pik Wai) sebagai seorang warga tua telah menolong dan membantu menyelesaikan perkara tersebut dengan pengurus pusat membeli-belah berkenaan''

The police had been sympathetic to her situation out of respect for her age, and helped/assisted her settle the case with the manager of the shopping centre.

What a bloody ingrate, trumping up charges to blame the helpful sympathetic police.

BUT WAIT!

Superintendant Mohd Rodzi told another newspaper, the English language Malaysiakini that he was misquoted by Utusan Melayu. He denied he claimed Pik Wai had lied about being stripped and humiliated while under police detention.

He said investigations into the case have been completed and the report submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office this afternoon.

KTemoc feels that the story, as reported by Utusan Melayu, of an ungrateful Cheng Pik Wai has been too detailed to be a mere case of misquoting, so who has been misquoting (note 'misquoting', not 'misquoted') - the deputy OCPD or Utusan Melayu?

Cheng's lawyer, Sankara Nair in responding to the Utusan Melayu's report invited the police to file a counter police report against Cheng if they believed that her accusations were fabricated. He said: “The police cannot play the role of arbitrator. Instead, they should consider the evidence.”

Incidentally, Cheng may be suing the shopping centre for libel and the police for abuse. Her lawyer told a press conference that those who have flouted the law in relations to Cheng’s detention also included the supermarket where she was apprehended for alleged shoplifting and the police.

Apparently Cheng was allegedly nabbed by the supermarket guards for taking a blouse, which had yet to be paid, to the first floor where she bought a drink as she was thirsty but intended to continue shopping. Sankaran said that there is an element of suspicion of theft only when the accused steps out of the premises with the alleged stolen goods.

Sankara who was a police ASP before he became a lawyer questioned the need for the police to allegedly strip Cheng and make her turn in circles three times. He advised: “A simple pat-down would be perfect for shoplifting suspects. There was no reason to strip her.”

He quoted Section 111 and 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code as extremely clear about the procedure for recording of statements from witnesses, thus he had been dismayed by the line of demeaning questioning that the police had conducted in relations to Cheng’s police report of her alleged abuse.

Sankara said the police had breached the law. “Why did the police continue asking these kinds of irritating, humiliating and embarrassing questions? For goodness sake, the police are not the law but are bound by law.”

Related:
(1) 60-year old lady: "Cops stripped me, took my money”
(2) Promiscuous-gate. Another police record!