EO detainees' family conned out of RM13,000

The family of Emergency Ordinance (EO) detainees Mohd Rafe Mohamed Ali and Mohd Ramadhan Mohamed Ali were cheated out of RM13,000 paid as “police bail” to an “Inspector Zulkifli” who claimed to be able to arrange for their release.

The two brothers were dragged out of their beds by about six police officers from their house at 4am in early March and detained. Their family was only told that they were taken away “to be investigated”, and no details of any charges was given.

Roughly two weeks after the duo’s arrest, on March 24, the family received a phone call from a Malay-sounding male voice, who claimed to be Inspector Zulkifli from the Rawang police station.

‘Inspector Zulkifli’ then proceeded to give the details of the brothers to the family, including their IC numbers, location held and the circumstances of their case, convincing them that he must be the police officer who is handling the case.

The man then asked for RM30,000 from the family if they wanted to see the brothers released, though they then negotiated the amount to RM13,000 as they explained that as a middle-class family, they cannot get such a huge amount.

“I didn’t know you can bargain with the police. At first I thought it was a bribe, but the man claimed it was police bail and must be banked into an account.

“I thought it was a new thing, and proceeded to bank in the cash,” said elder brother Moha Mohd Ali at a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

            

'No such police officer'

He banked in the money at the Rawang CIMB branch to an account  belonging to one Ponnan Subramaniam, as instructed.

Moha later contacted ‘Inspector Zulkifli’, who told him to come to the station the next day, March 25, to pick up his brothers.

The family went to the Rawang police station the following day, only to be told that there is no such officer at the police station nor were there arrangements to free the brothers.

“I realised that we have been cheated and we lodged a police report,” said Moha ( left in picture, with his mother ).

His sister Rohana Mohamed Ali lodged the police report on the same day at the Selayang police station.

Lawyers For Liberty spokesperson Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who was also at the press conference, alleged that the level of the details given by the persons who are demanding money from the family for the EO detainees’ release smacks of police involvement.

        

“From this, we can surmise that they are police officers. They are using the EO as a means to blackmail money from families,” she alleged.

Fadiah ( left ) continued that this is not an isolated case and is the same modus operandi used in various cases, including that of fellow EO detainee Mohd Ariff Abu Samah.

Mohd Arif’s family was also approached to pay for his release, but they were not able to raise the RM15,000 demanded.

            

At the same press conference, human rights watchdog Suaram coordinator Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar said that the NGO is looking to file a writ of habeas corpus as early as next Monday, to secure the release of the EO detainee.

‘Don’t let this be like the MACC case’

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president N Surendren also decried police intimidation of Fadiah Nadwa, who is the lawyer assisting Mohd Rafe, Mohd Ramadhan and Mohd Ariff.

Surendran ( right ) described how her interview with Mohd Ariff at the Gombak police district headquarters was disrupted by the interference of five police officers.

When she asked them to leave as privacy is guaranteed in attorney-client meetings, Surendren claimed that one of the officers threatened her.

“Don’t let this be like the MACC case,” one of the officers allegedly said.

He related how Fadiah Nadwa then challenged the officers.

“Do you want to throw me out of the window?” she asked.

To this the police kept quiet, but she related that they menacingly continued to disrupt her meeting with her client.

Surendren believed that the words uttered by the cop were a direct threat against Fadiah Nadwa’s life and gave the police 24 hours to arrest those responsible and charge them under Section 503 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

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