Farhash was not given food for almost 24 hours while in detention, claims lawyer

IPOH: Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, the political secretary to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was not provided food while in police detention for almost 24-hours, claims his lawyer Baldip Singh.

Baldip, who is Perak PKR vice chairman, said Farhash related this to him when met at the Dang Wangi police station on Wednesday (July 17).

He said Farhash, who is also the Perak PKR chairman, also said the same thing to a magistrate who was at the police station during the remand process.

The magistrate then ordered that Farhash be given something to eat.

"He was arrested on Tuesday (July 16) at a friend's house in Johor Baru about 2.30pm while having lunch, and that was his last meal. And he was only given something to eat after the remand process ended.

"The interrogation process took place from the time of his arrest until the next day morning at Bukit Aman, as well as at the police station. And during that period, no food was provided, and neither could he sleep," Baldip told a press conference at the Perak PKR headquarters here on Thursday (July 18).

Farhash was arrested to assist police investigations into the sex video scandal that allegedly implicates a federal minister.

Among those present at the press conference were state executive councillor Tan Kar Hing, who is also the party's state vice-chairman, Hulu Kinta assemblyman Muhammad Arafat Varisai Muhamad, central committee members and several division and branch leaders.

Baldip said the remand order was until Saturday (July 20) and he was hopeful that Farhash would be released.

"We in Perak fully support our president (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), as – in his statement – he had said that a certain individual should resign if he is conclusively identified as a subject in a recent sex video.

"Anwar used the word 'if'. There is not wrong in the statement made because if no one is involved then there is no need to resign.

"We all feel that our friends in PKR should not be making statements different from the party's stand," Baldip said.

Perak PKR secretary Mohd Azlan Helmi said he was shocked at the arrest of Farhash.

He said Perak PKR stood firm in the belief that Farhash was not guilty of the accusations made against him.

'We hope the legal process will be a carried out transparently, and that the police will act without prejudice and without selective investigation or prosecution.

"We support our chairman as well as the party's president in their efforts to reform the agenda in developing and bringing prosperity to the country," he added.