JOHOR BARU: Police denied that they had paraded a couple involved in an alleged indecent act case and arranged for photographers to take their pictures ahead of a remand process in court yesterday (April 7).
Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said the couple, a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, were not paraded as claimed by Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda).
Muda human rights bureau director Dobby Chew had said it was unethical and damaging for the police to parade the couple and allowed them to be photographed while in handcuffs and remand clothes.
Pictures of them were widely shared and Chew called out the use of handcuffs on the girl, pointing out Section 83A(1) of the Child Act 2001 which stated a child shall not be handcuffed unless it is a grave crime, or resists or attempts to evade arrests.
Sohaimi said it was untrue that his men had paraded the couple.
"The couple was brought to the court along with suspects from other cases in a police vehicle to the Johor Baru magistrate's court.
"They walked to the court building for the remand process via the usual route and we have never arranged for any photographers or other parties to be at a location to record or provide coverage of the couple being brought in for the remand process," he said in a statement posted on the Polis Seri Alam Facebook page today.
Sohaimi said they would conduct a comprehensive investigation to ascertain if there were breach of procedures during the remand process.
Magistrate Noorfazlin Hamdan granted a two-day remand on the couple to enable the police to further investigate under Section 377D of the Penal Code.
Section 377D criminalises acts of gross indecency, which carries a jail term of up to two years.
Sohaimi said the incident took place at a parking lot in Taman Kota Masai, Pasir Gudang, at 3.03pm on March 29.
The couple were arrested separately between 4.15pm and 5.15pm on Thursday (April 6) at Taman Johor Jaya and Taman Kota Masai.