The police have almost completed their probe into the case of a 61-year-old woman who claimed she was stripped naked, humiliated and lost RM200 during her three hour detention at the Dang Wangi police station.

Dang Wangi district deputy police chief Mohd Rodzi Ismail said today that a report on the case was expected to be sent to the public prosecutor on Monday.

The woman, Cheng Pik Wai, alleged that the incident had happened on March 11 after she was detained in connection with shoplifting in Kuala Lumpur.

The mother of three related her ordeal at a press conference yesterday at the Parliament lobby.

According to Bernama , Mohd Rodzi said police began investigations into the case soon after Cheng had lodged a police report two days ago.

Yesterday, he said the police recorded statements from Cheng and the two policewomen assigned to question Cheng over the shoplifting incident, whom she claimed had ordered her to strip.

Identification parade

He said Cheng ( left ) would be asked to pick out the two policewomen at an identification parade later today at the Dang Wangi police station.

Cheng, a Taiwanese married to a Malaysian, had alleged in her police report that the two policewomen led her to the lock-up and ordered her to strip naked and turn around thrice in front of them.

She alleged that she was teased by the policewomen when she obeyed their order, and she was then asked to get dressed and sent into the lockup.

She also claimed that RM200 was missing from her purse when it was handed back to her after her husband had posted bail.

At the press conference, Cheng said she felt extremely afraid and humiliated during the incident.

"I am an old woman, why did the police treat me like this? It was very cold in the lock-up and I could not stop crying but I was not given a chance to explain," she told reporters.

Don't play court

In a related development, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin, when commenting on Cheng's case, said t he press should not function as a court when reporting cases that are still under investigation because it can undermine the credibility of the police force.

He said the press would be biased and unfair to the police if it did this.

"It will influence public opinion of the police by raising a negative perception of their credibility.

"I regret that the press is reporting cases that are still under police investigation. It is worrying when the press becomes the court," he said.

He said the press should understand the journalism ethics and limits and refrain from biased reporting.