________________________________________________

*What happened to C Sugumaran, dead in handcuffs?
*C. Sugumar: Lawyers’ Statement
*Violence and death at the hands of the Police

_________________________________________________

Malaysiakini

Klang MP Charles Santiago, along with a lorry driver and a Malay Mail journalist, are being investigated by the police for criminal defamation, following reports of the death of a housewife who had been gunned down by several police officers last month.

Police today recorded statements from Charles and lorry driver Foo Voon Kong at the Klang police district office. The authorities had already recorded the reporter’s statement several days earlier.

“We came in at 9.15am and they met the two of us. Lawyer Ivan Ho accompanied us. They finished recording our statements at 10.30am,” Charles said.

“Police have classified the case under Section 500 for criminal defamation,” he said, adding that the police have also confiscated the reporter’s laptop and notebook.

Criminal defamation is punishable with two-years’ jail or a fine, or both.

MP, husband and reporter probed for defamation

——–

Malay Mail

POLICE have recorded statements from two staff of The Malay Mail in connection with a report on the fatal shooting of Pua Bee Chun on Jan 18.

Managing editor Terence Fernandez and intern R. Pavithiraa made their statements yesterday after police opened investigations under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation.

The police probe is focused on two allegations.

The first refers to claims by Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago that closed-circuit television footage of the incident from several nearby houses were deleted by the police.

The second refers to allegations by Pua’s husband that hospital authorities did not allow him to see her body and was only shown a picture to identify her.

Both Fernandez and Pavithiraa turned up at the South Klang police station at about 10am and spent an hour each giving their statements accompanied by lawyer Muhammad Faizal Faiz Mohd Hasani.

Police initially sought The Malay Mail’s cooperation to give witness statements, but the investigating officers yesterday informed Fernandez they were being investigated for criminal defamation.

Police record Malay Mail’s statement over story

—–

Though it was reported that the police had fired at least 22 shots in the Jan 18 incident, Song alleged that 40 shots were fired though a machine gun, one of which hit Pua and caused her death.

Free Malaysia Today

Shooting incident: Driver denies ramming policemen

The driver of the vehicle involved in a fatal shooting said he was also assaulted by the police during his three-day interrogation.

KLANG: The driver of a car involved in a police shooting denied that he rammed into the policemen. In the shooting incident on Jan 18 in Taman Sentosa, here, a 22 year-old housewife Pua Bee Chua was killed.

Song Chee Chai, 31, claimed that he merely increased the speed of his vehicle after he realised he was followed by a police car.

Speaking on behalf of Song at a press conference today, DAP Federal Territories secretary Lim Lip Eng said the police gave a 10km chase before they arrived at Taman Sentosa, the scene where police opened fire.

“My client claimed that he slowed down after coming across a van, then the police started firing at the back of his car without issuing any warning,” he said.

Shooting incident: Driver denies ramming policemen

———————————————————————-

Malay Mail

FAMILY IN GRIEF: Lorry driver Foo Voon Kong, carrying son Charles and accomompanied by his mother, is crying foul over Pua’s death — Pic: ASHRAF SHAMSUL AZLAN

—–

The two young children of the deceased.

_________________________________________________

Malaysiakini

Selangor police today gave an assurance that the investigations into the death of a 22-year-old housewife, who was allegedly shot in a car by police officers last Jan 18 was still on-going as the case has been classified as attempted murder.

The police also assured that if there were any evidence to suggest police involvement, the person would be charged in court.

Selangor CID chief SAC Mohd Adnan Abdullah said police have classified the case under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

“We are still awaiting the ballistic and chemical reports on the matter. If there are statements or evidence to suggest the police have fired the shots then we will recommend that a charge be made.
…………..

Attempted murder is punishable with a jail sentence of between 10 to 20 years under the section.
…………..

Mohd Adnan also revealed that the male friend who was with Pua had been brought to the Klang magistrate’s court and charged with four offences.

“The person has been charged on Wednesday with possession of a parang, a fake pistol, possessing a stolen car and drug possession.

“The male Chinese had pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen car and was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM20,000 or in default six months’ jail. The jail sentence is from the date of arrest (Jan 18),” he said.

Mohd Adnan said the man’s case will be mentioned again on Feb 27.

Police classify housewife’s death as attempted murder

———————————————————————-

Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Feb 1 — Selangor police said today they are looking into allegations that their officers may have gone overboard while chasing down a suspect, which resulted in the death of a 22-year-old mother who was a passenger in the car.
…………../88

“We have been investigating the case thoroughly, including the shooting, and if it was within the confines of the law,” Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissoner (SAC) Mohd Adnan Abdullah was reported by The Star Online as saying today.

According to him, investigations commenced even before reports of the incident had appeared on some news portals and blogs.
………….

“No one is above the law and we will not compromise with anyone even if they are our own,” Mohd Adnan said.

He explained that the police are now waiting for forensic reports before determining whether the policemen in question had committed any wrongdoing.

Selangor cops investigating ‘trigger-happy’ officers in Klang killing

——————————————————————–

www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/… – Cached

Ugly ferocious beast in Malaysia

Friday, 01 February 2013 admin-s

More than half or a whopping 85 cases have been classified under ‘No Further Action’. Twenty-nine cases are still under investigation.

KTemoc Konsiders

The Malaysian Insider – Man says cops shot his wife after car chase, demands explanation

Pua Bee Chun, a 22-year-old housewife, was killed by police in a similar scenario as suffered by Aminulrasyid Amzah. Her death by trigger happy police has been the latest in a string of unexplained or innocent deaths caused by police.

14-year old Aminulrasyid Amzah

Just recently we read of the horrifying death of C Sumugaran who was reported beaten by several men allegedly including police members. His corpse was found handcuffed and with turmeric powder smeared on his face, a description consistent with the alleged brutalities prior to his demise.

These have not been rare occurrences but rather the rule to the exception, with Indians bearing the brunt of alleged police brutalities or police crimes.

fz.com reported that C Sugumaran’s … case is but the latest in a long line of deaths in custody highlighted in the media. In its written answer in parliament, the Home Ministry stated that there have been a total of 156 deaths in police custody from 2000 to February 2011.

C Sugumaran

More than half or a whopping 85 cases have been classified under ‘No Further Action’. Twenty-nine cases are still under investigation.

In 2007 I posted: Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob, the Chief Judge of Malaya, has expressed her deep concerns that 80 deaths in police custody occurred between January 2000 and December 2004 – that’s an average of 20 people dying per annum while in police custody, or almost a frightening 2 per month for 4 continuous years – but only 6 inquests, less than 10% of the deaths, were even held.

Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2013/01/ugly-ferocious-beast-in-malaysia.html 

——————————————————————–

THIS WAS THE REPORT ON THE INCIDENT

Woman In Stolen Car Dies From Police Gunshot

Sunday, 20 January 2013 08:30

0 Comments KLANG: A 22-year-old woman passenger in a stolen car driven by a man, died after being hit by a police gunshot when they ignored orders to stop in Taman Sejati here last night. The victim who was in the front passenger seat of a Proton Waja was seriously wounded in the body after being hit by a gunshot fired by police in the direction of the 31-year-old suspect. Selangor CID chief SAC Mohamad Adnan Abdullah said the incident began at 7.35pm when a police patrol car stumbled upon a car driven in a suspicious manner and ordered it to stop at Jalan Batu 3 Lama here. He said the Waja driver however ignored the order and sped off with the police in pursuit before stopping in Taman Menara here. “As one of the policemen was carrying out an inspection, the vehicle suddenly reversed and tried to hit him, forcing the policeman to fire a warning shot. “The driver then sped off again to Taman Sejati here before stopping in front of a house as he tried to ram the patrol car. The dangerous act of the suspect forced police to fire several shots at the suspect before he surrendered,” he said here yesterday. Mohamad Adnan said upon inspection, police found a wounded woman and she was confirmed dead from a gunshot by an ambulance medical assistant later. Mohamad Adnan said police recovered a parang and a packet of white powder believed to be drugs on the backseat and that the car was reported stolen in Klang on Jan 15. “Investigations on the male suspect whose last address was in Taman Sentosa here revealed he had six previous old cases for robbery, burglary and drugs. Mohamad Adnan said the woman’s body was sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital while police were still investigating the male suspect who was unhurt. – Bernama

Woman In Stolen Car Dies From Police Gunshot

———————————————————————

“She does not have any criminal record and there was no cause for the police to shoot. I also want to know from the male friend as to what happened, for he has escaped unhurt but is now missing,” said the lorry driver.

Malaysiakini

A lorry driver has accused the police of firing mercilessly, and without cause, at a car in Klang, killing his wife and leaving his two children without a mother.

Foo Voon Kong, 26, said the Jan 18 incident took place about 7.45pm near Taman Sentosa, when his wife Pua Bee Chun, 22, was in the passenger seat of the car driven by a male friend.

Foo said shots were fired at the car, at the side where his wife had been sitting.

“There were 25 bullets fired at the car and one hit my wife near her heart, killing her instantly,” Foo said.

“Somebody from the scene informed me that there was a shooting incident, and they believed it was my wife (that was shot at). I arrived there and saw police surrounding the vehicle and saw my wife, dead.

“As the incident took place near some houses, I inquired what happened and the house owners said police took the CCTV recordings from their premises and deleted what had happened,” he said.

——-

Free Malaysia Today

Housewife’s death: ‘Police trigger-happy’

Klang MP Charles Santiago and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said those involved in the shooting of Pua Bee Chun should be brought to justice.

PETALING JAYA: Klang MP Charles Santiago and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo charged today that the police were trigger-happy in the shooting of housewife Pua Bee Chun.

Pua was killed in a police shoot-out on Jan 18. She was shot in Taman Sentosa Klang when she and driver Song Chee Chai were chased by the police after they were spotted behaving suspiciously.

Both the MPs said the police personnel involved in the shooting should be charged with her death.

Santiago also called for the immediate suspension of those involved and demanded that the police conduct an inquiry.

“The police involved should be charged under Section 304 of the Penal Code [culpable homicide not amounting to murder] because they were shooting randomly.

Housewife’s death: ‘Police trigger-happy’

——–

Malaysian Insider

KLANG, Jan 31 — A lorry driver is demanding an independent probe into why his young wife was allegedly shot dead by police after an apparent car chase two weeks ago at a housing estate here ended with a bullet-riddled car.

The incident took place on January 18 at about 8.30pm when Pua Bee Chun, a 22-year-old housewife, together with a friend were said to have been pursued by the police while driving at Taman Sentosa here.

Man says cops shot his wife after car chase, demands explanation

————————————————————–