PONTIAN: Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has denied allegation that those held on suspicion of having ties to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were tortured and intimidated during their detention.
He said based on the information given to him by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador and officers involved with the case, the detainees were not abused.
According to Muhyiddin, the detainees also did not make any formal complaints in the court room in the presence of a judge.
“I can’t accept the accusation as it is without proper investigation. If they (detainees) were abused, they can lodge a police report.
“This is a huge accusation which requires investigations to be conducted and I will not take it lightly.
“I’ve asked the IGP to make a thorough investigation. I am responsible but don’t simply take the words of one or two people who make assumption,” he told a press conference at Dewan Jubli Intan, here, today.
Muhyiddin had earlier attended the Tanjung Piai by-election’s nomination process.
Yesterday, five out of 12 suspects who were charged with supporting the now-defunct terrorist group LTTE have complained of mistreatment, torture or intimidation during their detention.
The two accused persons were grocery shop owner B Subramaniam, 57, and scrap metal dealer A Kalaimughilan, 28.
Subramaniam’s lawyer, S Selvam said his client complained of being tortured during his arrest and subsequent 21 days in detention where he was also allegedly forced to say “I am an LTTE member”.
According to Selvam, his client also claimed that he was threatened to be sent to prison for life if he didn’t do what the police asked him to.
Subramaniam's son S Ravindran and daughter-in-law R Thiviya alleged that the police threatened that he should confess to his involvement with LTTE or else the police would not release all his five sons and his wife.
Police had detained 12 men including two DAP state assemblymen under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 over their alleged link with the LTTE.
They were slapped with multiple charges under Section 130 of Penal Code on Oct 29 and Oct 31.