A car accessory shopowner underwent such a nightmarish experience at the hands of the police last month that it is likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.

He was set free early this month after being arrested eight times,  for what he believes were non-existing crimes.

Within that time, Kong Ing Luk, 34, was taken around to several police stations, locked up in cells, released and then re-arrested before being released unconditionally.

However, the police have not returned RM155 in cash ,his handphone and his Kancil car.

His belief is that he is not going to face any charges as he had not committed any offence.

"I am not even on police bail," he added.

"I am still angry with the police. I feel was victimised by the abusive police," he told reporters at the Sarawak DAP headquarters in Kuching today.

With him at the press conference were his father, Kong Sieng Chung, 59, mother Tang Kie Ying, 58, and Bandar Kuching member of parliament Chong Chieng Jen.

Police accused of alleged theft

He had lodged two reports with police, one at Batu Kawa station and the other, at Kota Samarahan's.

"I lodged the reports because the investigating officer did not allow me to contact my family when I was arrested for the first time and that the police maliciously arrested and detained me by abusing their power.

"The reports are also on police stealing my money while seizing my personal items ," he said.

The only consolation, he said, he was treated nicely. "At no time did the police assaulted me during my detention," he added.

Detailing his experience with the police, Kong said about 9.15pm on Jan 23at a car park in Kota Sentosa, he was talking on the phone when an unidentified man suddenly opened the car door on the driver's side and grabbed his handphone.

"The person punched me in the stomach and asked me "Mana Komputer?" to which he replied that he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Then a few other persons came over. All of them were in plainclothes. They handcuffed and forced me into their car and brought me to the Satok police station," he said.

Kong said throughout the journey to the Satok station, they did not identify themselves as police.

New version of given the run around

"While at the Satok station, I requested permission to phone my family to inform them that police had arrested me but that was refused."

He added that his family and friends did not know where he was and when they tried to get in touch with him, the calls went unanswered from Jan 23 to the next day.

He said on Jan 24th morning he was brought to the Petrajaya court house where again asked permission to call his family, only to be rejected again.

"My family only knew that I was arrested at about 8pm on Jan 24 after checking with a few police stations in Kuching. That was 24 hours after I was arrested," he added.

He was also not given a chance to call his lawyer to represent him when the police applied for a order to remand him.

After the expiry of the order, Kong said he was brought to court again on Jan 27, which ordered his release.

Arrested, dragged to court, again and again

"Then the police immediately arrested me again at the court house complex before bringing me back to the Satok station, and later in the afternoon, they took me to Sungai Maong station.

"The next day, I was again brought to the court house. The court again ordered my release. Soon after, the police re-arrested me and in the afternoon, they took me to the Samarahan station.

"On Jan 29, I was ordered to be remanded for a day at the Samarahan station, and on Jan 30, I was supposed to be released, but the police officers brought me back to the Satok station and later in the afternoon, they took me to the Bau station.

"At the Bau station, the officers said that I had no criminal record but was detained overnight anyway.

"On Jan 31, I was brought back to Sungai Maong station to collect my clothing and then to Satok station.

"I thought I was going to be released then. However, I was brought to Serian station, about 70km from Kuching. There , they discovered that the lock-up was full so I was returned to the Tedebu station, about 40km away from Serian town, near the border with Kalimantan.

"On Feb 1, on the application by the police to the court in Tebedu, I was remanded for a day.

"On the afternoon of Feb 2, I was brought back to the Satok station. At about 5.30pm, I was finally released from police custody," Kong said.

He said his Identity Card and wallet minus the RM 155 had been returned to him.

Reaching for the highest authority

"My car and handphone are still being kept by the police," he said.

Kong suspects that he was repeatedly arrested and detained because he refused to bribe the police.

"While I was being detained under the first remand order, the investigating officer called up my brother to ask for money, which we refused," he claimed.

Chong, meanwhile, said he would write to Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, asking for a full investigation into the alleged police abuse of power.

"This is a clear cut case of police abusing their power to arrest and detain people, though they knew that no crimes had been committed," he said.