‘Speed up probe on those arrested over LTTE links’

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar calls on the police to speed up investigations on those recently arrested in connection with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Its president Datuk Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor (pic) said it had been reported that the police had carried out surveillance on those arrested recently in connection with LTTE, which means that the police are deemed to have some evidence of their involvement in activities detrimental to the security of the nation.

“We call upon the police to speed up investigations in adherence to the rule of law and natural justice and charge them in court if there are enough evidence to do so, and not to unnecessarily detain the suspects for a full length of 28 days as provided under Sosma (Security Offences (Special Measures) Act).

“It must be reminded that the provision of Sosma had been abused in the past in the cases of Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, Matthias Chang and Maria Chin Abdullah.

In the case of Chin, she was released after a lengthy detention without any charges against her.

“Whereas, in the case of Khairuddin and Chang, though being charged, the prosecution later withdrew the charges, ” he added.