It was the Brickfields police chief who disallowed legal representation for five lawyers detained over their refusal to heed police warning to disperse from an allegedly illegal assembly, a Suhakam public inquiry was told today.

lawyers at brickfields police station 220509 04 Brickfields police deputy chief Supt Azri Abdul Rahman said his superior, ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid, made the decision on the advice of district CID chief DSP Jude Blacious Pereira.

He said he obeyed the decision made by his superior as it was justified under Section 28A of the Penal Code not to allow detainees from getting legal representation.

"I did not stay throughout the discussion on the matter as I had to handle 14 other detainees (of the illegal assembly). I went in and out of the room where the discussion took place," said Azri, who is the 20th witness.

puravalen pc on missing pi balasubramaniam 180708 m puravalen To a suggestion by lawyer M Puravalen ( right ), who is representing the lawyers, that Wan Abdul Bari should have sought his (Azri's) opinion as he was more senior than Pereira, Azri said it was not necessary for the OCPD to tell him of his decision as he was the boss.

Wan Abdul Bari identified himself as Brickfields police chief to the illegal gathering outside the police station before ordering them to disperse, said Azri.

He said he was aware of four lawyers who wanted to meet with the detainees but did not know who they were as there were more than 10 people outside the police station.

Top cop to testify next

The public inquiry, which began on Aug 14 last year, is chaired by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and assisted by commissioners Dr Michael Yeoh and Dr Denison Jayasooria.

Its aim is to ascertain, among others, whether the detention and arrest of the five lawyers at the Brickfields police station on May 7 last year, was a denial of legal representation, and a breach of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution and section 28 of the Criminal Procedure Code and therefore, tantamount to a violation of human rights.

L bar council lawyers protest at jalan duta court detained 5 lawyer at brickfields police station 080509 03 awyers Puspawati Rosman, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Murnie Hidayah Anuar, Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal and Syuhaini Safwan were arrested for taking part in an illegal gathering at the police station between 9.25pm and 9.30pm on May 7 last year, a day after a candlelight vigil was held over the arrest of blogger Wong Chin Huat by the Brickfields police.

The ongoing inquiry will close on Jan 28, where it will hear testimony from Wan Abdul Bari, who was scheduled to testify today but was indisposed.

- Bernama