Malaysia's ex-police chief torn from Anwar's cell

Malaysia's ex-police chief torn from Anwar's cell

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia's former police chief had to
be torn away from sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim as he
assaulted the former cabinet minister in detention, senior police
officers said on Monday.

Yaacob Mohd Amin, director of the Criminal Investigation
Department, and his deputy told a royal commission investigating
injuries Anwar sustained in custody in September that they pulled
former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor from Anwar's cell.

Rahim Noor, who resigned as police chief in January, admitted
through a lawyer on Sunday that he had hit Anwar, who appeared in
court in September with a black eye and bruises on his neck and
arms. Anwar's injuries stirred international indignation.

The former inspector-general of police said Anwar had provoked
him by calling him the "father of the dogs".

Anwar on Monday demanded an explanation whether the police
chief beat him on the instructions of Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad.

"The question that arises now is, did Tan Sri Rahim beat me up
on the instructions of the prime minister or was his anger the
result of the rift between the prime minister and me?" Anwar said
in a statement read by his wife Azizah Ismail.

Opposition leaders and rights groups on Monday demanded an
explanation from Mahathir, who at the time of the assault was
also home (interior) minister.

"It is a great puzzle how such a crime could be concealed for
more than four months," Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat, an alliance of
opposition parties and rights groups, said.

Rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) urged the royal
commission to "look into the involvement of former home minister
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir in the beating of Anwar and the subsequent
cover-up by the police force".

Yaacob told the commission that he and his deputy, Ramli
Yusof, accompanied Rahim Noor to Anwar's detention cell after the
former cabinet minister was arrested on Sept. 20. He said he was
outside the cell after Rahim Noor had entered.

"I heard a voice in Malay saying, 'Don't hit me!'
Spontaneously I rushed into the cell," Yaacob said.

"Then I saw Tan Sri Rahim. I grabbed his belt and pulled him
with my right hand towards me, and with my left hand holding the
bar of the cell. Datuk Ramli was in the cell. Ramli was pushing
Rahim away, and I pushed Rahim out of the cell. We managed to get
Rahim out of the cell," Yaacob said.

Ramli told the commission that he rushed into Anwar's cell
after hearing a groan and the words, "Allah! Don't beat me!" He
said he did not hear any other words.

"I immediately rushed into the cell number six, and saw Anwar
sprawling on the cement slab on his back, and I saw Tan Sri Rahim
was still hitting Anwar. I saw his hands were in the act of
hitting Anwar," Ramli said.

Testimony by Yaacob and Ramli suggested Rahim was the only
person who hit Anwar, who was sacked in September and later
arrested after leading 30,000 demonstrators through the streets
of the capital calling on Mahathir to quit.

The commission adjourned to Tuesday when Rahim was due to
testify.