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.