JOHOR BARU: Police have arrested a senior cop and three policemen over the alleged extortion of RM45,000 from a businessman and his friend.
Johor police chief Commissioner M. Kumar said the officers, aged between 28 and 44 and attached to the Seri Alam district police headquarters, were arrested to facilitate investigations under Section 384 of the Penal Code for extortion.
They were detained after a businessman lodged a report on Aug 28 claiming that the officers extorted RM45,000 from him and his friend.
Kumar said the officers were released on bail, pending investigations, and they have been assigned to non-active desk duties.
Earlier, a whistleblower site alleged that the officers extorted RM45,000 from a businessman on Aug 27. The businessman lodged a report the next day at 4.15am.
Kumar said when completed, the investigation papers would be referred to Bukit Aman, then to the prosecutor's office for further action.
He said an internal inquiry was being conducted.
"The investigation will be transparent. Strict legal action will be taken if there is evidence of extortion," he said at a press conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters here today.
The businessman claimed that when he was having dinner with a friend at a restaurant in Austin Heights, two men dressed in civilian clothing approached them at 5pm and said they were police officers.
The two men seized the businessman's and his friend's phones and told them to follow them to the Seri Alam district police headquarters in an unmarked car.
They were taken to the station's Commercial Crime Unit and were accused of being involved in scams and human trafficking.
The businessman claimed that two other police officers were at the unit during the alleged extortion.
He claimed that even though the policemen did not find any evidence of crimes on the seized phones, the officers demanded RM150,000 from him and his friend, threatening them with jail time for their alleged offences.
The RM150,000 amount was reduced to RM45,000 after the two men claimed they did not have that much cash.
The businessman alleged that the officers brought he and his friend to a bank to withdraw RM15,000 as they only had RM30,000 in hand.
He claimed the officers then sent he and his friend back to Mount Austin, where they had parked their vehicles.