Penang police will thoroughly probe raped-in-station allegation

The Star 
by DERRICK VINESH

BUTTERWORTH: The police will not be biased when investigating the three policemen who allegedly gang-raped a 25-year-old Indonesian at a police station in Prai.

Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said he would not “leave any stone unturned” .

“We will not tolerate any act that may jeopardise the sanctity of the police force.

“We will be firm and take the appropriate action,” he added.

On Saturday, DCP Abdul Rahim said the three policemen were arrested on Friday after the woman lodged a report at the Central Seberang Prai district police headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam.

They have been remanded until Nov 16 to facilitate investigations.

The woman, a restaurant worker, had approached Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional coordinator Lau Chiek Tuan for help on Saturday.

She claimed during a press conference that she was in a taxi near the Pacific shopping mall at about 6.20am on Friday when she was stopped by a police patrol car.

Because she had only a photocopy of her passport, she said the policemen then brought her to the station, where they allegedly gang-raped her in a room.

DCP Abdul Rahim said police recorded statements from the woman and the taxi driver yesterday.

He stressed that investigations would be carried out according to the police's standard operating procedures.

The taxi driver, identified only as Tan, was also present at the press conference at Lau's service centre in Taman Usahaniaga, Bukit Mertajam.

Lau said he was flooded with phone calls after the case was highlighted in the media.

He said many of the callers expressed concern over the incident.