'Namewee's allegations on Bayan Baru lockup untrue'
Bernama
September 9, 2016 23:09 MYT
September 9, 2016 23:09 MYT
Namewee on the day he was released on police bail last Aug 25. - BERNAMApic
The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has confirmed that the allegations and bad picture painted by controversial rap singer Namewee against the Bayan Baru Police Station Centralised Lockup in Penang were baseless and untrue.
EAIC chairman Datuk Yaacob Md Sam in a statement today said the confirmation was made possible after the EAIC conducted a spot visit to the lockup on Sept 5.
Namewee, who was detained for four days at the lockup following the production of a video clip allegedly insulting Islam, claimed that he was placed in a small ill-conditioned room with 15 other detainees from Myanmar.
He also claimed that some of the detainees had been held for more than 30 days and there were probably some others who had died in the room for not receiving proper medical treatment.
READ: Police deny Namewee's allegations on poor lock-up condition
Yaacob said the man's allegation of being locked up with 15 detainees in a small and ill-conditioned room were untrue as the EAIC team, after checking the footage of the closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, found that he was placed in a detention cell with 12 people for only less than two hours.
Yaacob said Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was brought to the M1-2 detention cell at 4.53 pm with seven detainees from Myanmar and five detainees from Nepal.
At 6.45pm, he said, all 12 detainees were brought to lockup M-17.
"The action was taken by the centralised lockup authority specifically to provide more comfort to Namewee," he said.
Yaacob said during the entire four-day remand period from 6.45pm on Aug 22 to 7.14am on Aug 25, Namewee was left alone in the same cell.
The man's allegation that some Myanmar detainees had been held for more than 30 days was indeed a mere presumption, Yaacob said.
Upon inspection on the detention record, he said the EAIC team found that 12 of the other detainees placed in M1-2 cell before Namewee, were picked up on Aug 13 from around Georgetown, Penang and their detention ended on Aug 26.
On the date Namewee entered M1-2 cell on Aug 22, the Myanmar detainees had been held for just nine days, he said.
Yaacob said the analysis of the CCTV footage, especially when Namewee was held with the other foreign detainees at M1-2, revealed that nothing unusual occurred.
While the detainees were being transferred to cell M1-17, the footage showed that they were in good condition and showed no symptoms of being unwell, he said.
"Namewee's allegations that the detainees placed together with him were sick and that some may had died in the room earlier for not receiving proper medical treatment, were also baseless and grounded merely on pure conjectures," he said.
Yaacob also said the EAIC team also found on the overall, the level of cleanliness of the lockup and cells at the Bayan Baru Centralised Lockup were in good and satisfactory condition.
"EAIC is also satisfied with the management of the Bayan Baru Centralised Lockup and found it complied with the 2014 Police Lockup Management SOP," he added.