Kula Lumpur (Malaysia): Malaysian police rearrested P. Uthayakumar, a Human Rights Lawyer and the Legal adviser of Hindu Rights Action Force of Malaysia (HINDRAF), and dragged him like a dog to Pudu Jail Police Station and locked him up yesterday evening, to clamp the third sedition charge on him today in the courts.
As Malaysian police cuffed him in his right wrist and dragged him, his right wrist was swollen and injured. He lodged a complaint with the police station for the police excesses. He was then taken to the hospital for treatment and medical report and subsequently thrown into the police cell.
It all happened yesterday morning when Uthayakumar left his house located in Banghsar, in Kula Lumpur and got into his car to leave for the courts. One Police Inspector Saleh who was in plain cloth, accompanied by three other plain cloth policemen surrounded his car as he got into it at Jalan Maros, and arrested him.
Uthayakumar told Asian Tribune that he was so shocked when he saw the plain cloth policemen surrendering his car and arrest him. He said, "I thought that they wanted to shoot me. There was a similar incident that took place 21/2 years ago," he said.
"There was no need to cause such alarm. They could have walked into my house and arrested me, or else they could have arrested me when I walked to my car," Uthayakumar said.
He said, "I was taken to the Kula Lumpur Session Courts and charged for sedition for the second time under 4 (1)© of the Sedition Act of Malaysia."
Uthayakumar was for the second time charged for sedition; it is learnt, for sending a memorandum to Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister. The full text of the Memorandum address to British Prime Minister and sent on 15 November is given at the end of this news report.
It is learnt, according to the charge, the person who is charged under section 4 (1)© will face three years jail sentence or would be imposed with a maximum fine of Malaysian Ringgit 5,000, or both.
In the morning at the Session Courts, Malaysia’s Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patali was personally present to conduct the case on behalf of the Government to ensure Uthayakumar was not given bail by the judge.
In fact Malaysian Attorney General is a member of the Legal and Judicial Service Commission of Malaysia and the judges promotions, dismissals and transfers are usually subjected to Attorney General’s approval.
According to an Advocate, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that Attorney General should not have appeared before the Session Courts judge Ms. Sabariah Yusof, as it was impossible for the judge to decide without fear or favor.
Though Attorney General insisted that bail should not be granted to Uthayakumar, the court ordered the impounding of Uthayakumar’s passport and released him on Malaysian Ringgit 50,000 bail.
Uthaykumar when contacted told Asian Tribune, that "As I left the courtroom by 5 PM on Tuesday, I was rearrested. When I asked for the arrest warrant, the police said that they don’t have one.
At that time Uthayakumar was arrested, there were about 1,000 HINDRAF supporters outside the Court house.
While 50 policemen kept the HANDRAF supporters at bay, Police in the melee manacled Uthayakumar right hand and started dragging him like a dog to the Pudu Jail Police station.
At the police station, Uthayakumar was grilled for more than 4 hours. After the police interrogation, Uthayakumar’s right arm wrist was swollen and he started wriggling in pain.
Uthayakumar then lodged a complaint against the police for its excesses. After lodging the police complaint, he was taken to the hospital by the police for treatment. After the treatment Uthayakumar was thrown into the police cell.
It is expected that Uthayakumar would face the third seditious charges when he is produced before the courts today morning.
Source: asiantribune.com
