PUTRAJAYA: Allegations by rapper Namewee that the Bayan Baru central lockup is in poor condition are false and baseless, says the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
EAIC chairman Datuk Yaacob Md Sam said the agency had conducted a spot-check at the lockup on Monday and found that none of the allegations were true.
He said checks on the closed circuit television (CCTV) system showed that Namewee was placed in a cell with 12 other prisoners for only two hours, and they were later brought to other cells.
“During his remand from Aug 22 to 25, Namewee was placed alone in a different cell.
“Our observation also showed that the level of cleanliness of the lockup was good and satisfactory,” said Yaacob.
He said claims that some detainees from Myanmar were held for more than 30 days in a small cell were merely Namewee’s assumption.
“Our investigation showed that the 12 other prisoners were placed in the cell before Namewee was arrested. They were detained in George Town on August 13 and their detention period ended on Aug 26.
“This proves that Namewee’s claim is untrue as the immigrants were only detained for nine days when he was placed in the same cell on Aug 22.
“Based on the CCTV analysis, the immigrants appeared normal and healthy. They were not sick, as claimed by Namewee,” he said.
Namewee, whose real name Wee Meng Chee, was remanded over an investigation after he uploaded a music video that allegedly insulted Islam. He claimed that he was placed with 15 other detainees from Myanmar, who had spent 30 days in detention.
Namewee, via his Facebook account on Aug 27, claimed they were detained in a small room that was in deplorable state. He also claimed that some of the foreign detainees may have died in custody without being given medical attention.