Police extortion victim tells story, wants justice

Police extortion victim tells story, wants justice

The victim in an alleged police extortion case has come forward to tell his version of events and to demand justice.

Earlier today, Ampang district police chief Mohamad Farouk Eshak said three officers have been arrested for investigations into the Jan 11 incident.

In a press conference held at Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng’s office this morning, a used car salesperson who identified himself as Goh urged the police to charge those who extorted money from him.

“I hope the police take action. We are citizens and the police are supposed to protect us, not extort from us. If even the police are like this, who else can we trust?

“I hope the police officers who extorted me get the punishment they deserve.

“I hope they will be charged in court,” he said.

Victim tells what happened

On Tuesday this week, Goh explained that was stopped by two police officers while he was on his mobile phone asking for directions.

The officers initially told him it was illegal to use a mobile phone while driving but then suspected he had consumed illicit drugs and possessed such substances.

They began searching his vehicle and confiscated both his mobile phone and identification card (IC).

According to Goh, the officers began issuing threats after they found a foreign exchange (forex) investment application on his phone, along with images of cash and his customers’ ICs.

They allegedly told him that it was illegal to possess such material, saying this constituted a more serious offence than drug possession.

Request to contact lawyer refused

The officers refused Goh’s request to contact a lawyer and instructed him to follow them to the police station.

Along the way, Goh claimed that the officers stopped at the Lotus hypermarket in Ampang to warn him that his purported offence was serious and could result in an RM100,000 fine upon conviction.

However, they also proposed that a “private settlement” would cost a fifth of that amount – RM20,000.

Goh explained that he had felt nervous and afraid as it was his first time encountering such a situation. He was eager to solve the issue and eventually handed over a total of RM10,000 to the officers.

Only then did the officers return his mobile phone and IC, but not before they took photographs of his forex trading account number and images of his customers’ ICs in his phone, ostensibly as “evidence”.

Goh claimed that the officers also threatened him not to expose the ordeal or else they would lawan sampai mati (fight him to death).

Lost faith in the police

Goh later approached his MP, Lim, and lodged a police report while accompanied by Lim’s assistant.

The police have since arrested three officers aged between 36 and 44. The trio has reportedly been serving in the force for more than a decade and had no record of disciplinary or drug issues.

They will be remanded until Jan 16 (Sunday) and are being investigated under Section 384 of the Penal Code (Extortion).

During the press conference, Goh expressed his disappointment with the police force.

While the police had acted professionally when he lodged his police report about the alleged extortion, he suspected that Lim’s involvement had something to do with it.

“I believe that this issue would not have turned out like this if my MP had not come forward. This turned out well because my MP got involved. This is my personal view.

“If I had lodged the police report on my own, this case could have been deferred again and again,” he opined.