Malaysian ex-police chief admits assaulting Anwar

Malaysian ex-police chief admits assaulting Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Former Malaysian police chief Abdul Rahim Noor admitted through his lawyer on Sunday that he beat up ousted deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim when he was taken into police custody last year.

Rahim's lawyer, Teh Poh Teik, told a royal commission of inquiry that the then head of police "lost his cool" and struck Anwar after the former deputy prime minister accused him of being the "father of all dogs" on the night of his Sept. 20 arrest.

"He acted under grave provocation," the lawyer said.

Anwar, who says he was blindfolded and handcuffed during the assault in his cell at the federal police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, told reporters covering the inquiry he was "relieved Tan Sri Rahim has admitted" to the beating.

"There shouldn't be any attempt to cover up or confine the investigation," he added.

Anwar's wife Azizah said she was also relieved and that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad should be questioned as he used to be in charge of the police in his capacity as home affairs minister.

Mahathir, who earlier suggested Anwar's injuries were self- inflicted, relinquished the post as part of a cabinet reshuffle last month.

"The minister concerned should also be questioned in regards to his role," Azizah told reporters, adding Anwar's supporters "want to get to the root of the assault" on her husband.

"The whole episode of injustice has galvanized people."

Anwar, now on trial on four corruption charges, earlier denied an assertion that he insulted the former inspector general of police (IGP), who also resigned last month after a probe blamed unidentified police officers for the assault.

"You protested when police came to arrest you," the former police chief's lawyer said.

"You asked who ordered the arrests. Then you said 'the IGP dog, the government's dog' -- that was your response."

But Anwar disagreed, saying: "That was not my response." Lawyer Teh then asserted Anwar had "constantly attacked the police" after he was dismissed by Mahathir on Sept. 2 amid a welter of allegations ranging from sexual misconduct to treason.

Anwar said his remarks were "not attacking the police" as such, "but against the behavior of some elements in the police force for intimidation, harassment and possibly obtaining confessions from individuals to incriminate me."

Accused of provocation, Anwar said he was "stunned" by the assertion. "This is the first time I'm hearing this. There was absolutely no conversation except for the clearing of the throat, my groans and my shouts to Allah," he said.

Teh charged: "You provoked him by uttering 'this is the father of all dogs.' When he heard these words, he lost his cool, he lost his temper, and hit you. This episode happened so fast, so quickly, that he was pulled away."

Anwar replied: "Not a few seconds, a few minutes."

Former appeals court judge Mahadev Shankar, a member of the three-man panel investigating the beating, asked Teh if Rahim was admitting to the assault.

"Yes, that is the instruction from my client," the lawyer replied.

Police officers attending the inquiry said they were relieved their former boss had finally come clean but expressed concern about possible repercussions tarnishing the image of the police force.

"The damage has been done. He should have admitted a long time a go," a special branch officer told AFP.

A senior officer, who asked not to named, said: "We hope the public will not generalize the action of one person and label the police as being violent."

But loyalty to the former police chief still appeared to be strong among some officers. "I respect his decision to own up his action," one said.

Anwar testified last week that he recognized the police chief by the sound of him clearing his throat when he entered the cell and that junior police officers later confirmed Rahim was the person who assaulted him.