(Malaysiakini) Suaram activist Cheng Lee Whee who was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) last night, will be released on police bail soon.
Nyam Kee Han, who is Suaram’s Johor co-ordinator, when contacted today said he was informed by Cheng’s lawyer that a magistrate this morning rejected a police remand for her to be detained for four more days.
The lawyer, said Nyam, argued on the grounds that 26-year-old Cheng has co-operated fully with the police since her detention.
When contacted, Johor police chief Mokhtar Shariff stressed that Cheng was issued a remand order early this morning and had the right to hire a lawyer for her defence.
Cheng was detained under Section 28 of the ISA for ‘dissemination of false reports’ following a police report she made accusing the police of abuse of power in Thursday’s controversial demolition of a squatter colony in Johor.
According to lawyers, section 28 does not empower the police to detain a suspect without trial. The suspect must be brought to court within 24 hours, either to be charged or be further remanded to facilitate police investigations.
According to the section, "Any person who, by word of mouth or in writing or in any newspaper, periodical, book, circular or other printed publication or by any other means spreads false reports or makes false statements likely to cause public alarm, shall be guilty of an offence."
'Wrong perception of ISA'
Unlike other sections under the ISA that allow detention without trial, Mohktar stressed that Section 28 allows Cheng to face a due process of law. He added that Cheng had every right to to explain herself.
"People may have a wrong perception that the whole Act allows detention without trial, but Section 28 is the total opposite," he said when contacted today.
"We will issue a press release as soon as possible so people do not get the wrong impression of this section," said Mokhtar.
No comments:
Post a Comment