Officers linked to Nicky will be arrested, says Ayob

JOHOR BARU: All policemen suspected to be linked to fugitive Datuk Seri Nicky Liow will be hauled up to face charges in court, said state police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

Johor police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests of enforcement officers following the announcement that 34 individuals, including members of the police force, were said to be linked to Liow, he said.

He added that Johor police are focused on charging police officers involved in organised crime activities, including crime syndicates believed to be led by the fugitive businessman, rather than handing over their names to the police’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS).

“We will not call them up for questioning, this is not a disciplinary action. Our investigation is still ongoing and based on reports we received, we can see that this case is expanding, ” he added.

Comm Ayob said enforcement personnel had been previously detained under Ops Benteng and charged in court for their involvement in organised crime.

“This is the format we will use for Datuk Seri Nicky’s (Liow) case. We are still updating the investigation paper and once it is completed, we will arrest them.

“I will also not give this case to JIPS, that will only be my last option, ” he told a press conference at the Johor police headquarters yesterday.

Comm Ayob also said that the list of police personnel and officers allegedly involved in the case would not be made public.

On Tuesday, Bukit Aman JIPS director Comm Datuk Zamri Yahya was quoted as saying that he is still waiting for Johor police to hand him the list of policemen involved in the so-called Nicky Gang to be investigated.

Last month, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador revealed that Liow had at least 34 law enforcement agency personnel under his “payroll”.

On April 12, police said they had requested Interpol’s help via a Blue Notice to locate and arrest the businessman, who is on the run.

The Blue Notice refers to the request to locate, identify or collect information on a person of interest.