Gani: We wanted to be fair

By Fay Angela D’cruz

KUALA LUMPUR: Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail had wanted to charge the policeman responsible for causing injuries to A. Kugan much earlier.

The decision, however, had to be postponed due to two pending hearings, one before the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), and the other, at the High Court.

Gani explained that after the first Independent Investigation Committee had submitted its report on March 26, police had obtained a search warrant to be conducted at University Malaya Medical Centre where several specimens and documents pertaining to Kugan’s second post-mortem were seized.

Kugan’s family, however, was against the search and seizures and had applied to High Court which heard and dismissed the case in August.
Gani said Kugan’s mother then applied for a revision against the search warrant last month and the case has been fixed to be heard tomorrow.

Gani said the second committee, set up by the MMC, had yet to complete their investigations.

“I had decided to charge the policeman in April, but had to postpone it because of the two pending hearings.

“I wanted to give the fam-ily a fair investigation,” he said.

However, Gani said, last Saturday, a group of people, comprising Kugan’s family members, had gathered in front of the palace to submit a memo to the King on the alleged delay.

“This was despite their request for the setting up of the second committee and the hearing was still pending.

“As the second committee had postponed its hearing to Oct 9 and this will in turn prolong this matter, I decided not to delay this matter any further,” Gani said.

He, however, added that if there were differences in the findings of the second committee, he would reconsider whether to prefer heavier charges or otherwise.