Hamzah ‘downright wrong’ in leaked audio recording, says lawyer
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh urged the incoming IGP to investigate home minister Hamzah Zainudin over the leaked recording as his first assignment.
PETALING JAYA: Home minister Hamzah Zainudin should be investigated for his leaked audio recording discussing a reshuffle in the police force, says lawyer and Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh.
In a statement, he said Hamzah’s discussion seemed to suggest government interference in the appointment of senior police officers as this should come within the purview of the police.
Hamzah today admitted it was him in the voice recording, but denied any wrongdoing.
“The one who’s in the wrong is the person who taped my conversation,” he added.
Ramkarpal said any interference in the matter of police appointments would cast doubts on the appointment process, affecting public perception.
Calling this “downright wrong”, he also urged incoming inspector-general of police (IGP) Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to initiate investigations against Hamzah as one of his first assignments.
Otherwise, he said the perception that there were double standards in investigations relating to government leaders compared to opposition leaders would remain.
Elaborating on the double standards, he noted that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was called in for police questioning on a similar audio recording case.
“If there was no wrongdoing by Hamzah, why the double standards in investigating Anwar?”
Anwar and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were said to have been featured in a leaked audio recording, which was uploaded on Facebook.
The recording was believed to have been recorded soon after the Umno general assembly late in March, which had decided there should be no political cooperation with Anwar, Bersatu and DAP in the coming general election.
In a statement, he said Hamzah’s discussion seemed to suggest government interference in the appointment of senior police officers as this should come within the purview of the police.
Hamzah today admitted it was him in the voice recording, but denied any wrongdoing.
“The one who’s in the wrong is the person who taped my conversation,” he added.
Ramkarpal said any interference in the matter of police appointments would cast doubts on the appointment process, affecting public perception.
Calling this “downright wrong”, he also urged incoming inspector-general of police (IGP) Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to initiate investigations against Hamzah as one of his first assignments.
Otherwise, he said the perception that there were double standards in investigations relating to government leaders compared to opposition leaders would remain.
Elaborating on the double standards, he noted that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was called in for police questioning on a similar audio recording case.
“If there was no wrongdoing by Hamzah, why the double standards in investigating Anwar?”
Anwar and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were said to have been featured in a leaked audio recording, which was uploaded on Facebook.
The recording was believed to have been recorded soon after the Umno general assembly late in March, which had decided there should be no political cooperation with Anwar, Bersatu and DAP in the coming general election.
The 'Atuk'-risation of electronic "evidence" in criminal proceedings
So Ramkarpal agrees to focus on the message, not the messenger....
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