Lawyers for P Uthayakumar have requested the police chief to initiate disciplinary investigations into two officers for allegedly breaking the law when arresting the human rights activist yesterday.

In a letter dated today, the lawyers filed complaints against chief inspector Koh Sei Cheow and DSP Gan Tack Kuan of the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters accusing them of 'contempt of court' and 'violent conduct'.

One of his lawyers, N Surendran, said that Koh committed contempt when producing Uthayakumar before a magistrate yesterday after arresting him at his Bangsar office for failure to cooperate with the police in investigations into several assault reports lodged by him.

"Inspector Koh committed serious contempt of court by interrupting the proceedings and ordering my client to be handcuffed and taken away," he said in the letter to the inspector-general of police, Mohd Bakri Omar.

Surendran also alleged that Koh 'roughly pushed' him aside during this time though the latter denied the allegations when contacted today.

"I am a police officer who is a professional and I would not do such a thing especially in the presence of a magistrate and lawyers," he said over the phone.

In calling for the suspension of the two police officers in view of the seriousness of the complaint, Surendran also accused Gan of abusing his police powers when applying for the arrest warrant.

"(He) chose not to reveal all the material facts when applying for the warrant (and) our client views this as a deliberate act intended to harass and punish him," said Surendran.

Statement obtained

Uthayakumar's lawyers say his arrest warrant was obtained illegally because police had failed to reply and acknowledge a notice the lawyers had sent to them asking to be informed of when the court order for the warrant was being applied for.

This would have allowed the lawyers to present their case as well as contend that the court order to compel Uthayakumar to make a statement was unnecessary.

A police officer who wished to remain anonymous told malaysiakini today that the statement they had been requiring from Uthayakumar was obtained during the four hours he was held after his arrest.

Uthayakumar, who had sought temporary asylum in United Kingdom, had refused to make a statement to the police because he claimed the police were the perpetrators in his assault case and he therefore did not trust them to be fair in their investigations.

In May, Uthayakumar was assaulted and threatened at gunpoint by three men, in which he claimed the police were behind the vicious attack.

Yesterday, he said the statement he made contained his objections, allegations and a call for the case to be investigated by the Police Royal Commission and Suhakam.