WELL DONE GANI PATAIL
By Gobind Singh Deo
Many months ago A.Kugan was beaten to his death in police custody. Think about it. Bruises and marks showing he was beaten. He was in a police lock-up or station.
There is no dispute about the fact that it was the police who were responsible. We waited for the results of the post-mortem report. We got it. We were not happy with it. We were not happy with it because our eyes didn’t lie to us. We know what we saw. To us it was murder. So we went to the funeral and brought the coffin back to UMMC. We wanted a second opinion.
Whilst all of this was happening, the police let out theories of how it is the first postmortem seemed to exculpate them. It wasn’t murder, according to them. Nobody was arrested. Until today, no one has been charged. Gani Patail is the Attorney General of Malaysia. He decides who is to be charged and for what. Well, that’s usually the case. If I remember correctly, he said one day that A.Kugan’s case should be classified as murder. This was during Pak Lah’s time.
Then we went to see a good person by the name of Dr Prashant in UMMC. We told him we wanted a second post-mortem done on A.Kugan. He agreed and we got on with it. His examination confirmed what we (all Malaysians, except those investigating) could already see and already knew. It was surely murder.
Then Gani Patail said he had a problem. Now there were two reports. He didn’t know what to do. So he commenced investigations on the reports. These investigations are still pending and those who brought Kugan to his death are still walking around freely.
I am impressed.
I now know that the best way to buy a few months or years of time for my clients who are accused of murder is to get a second post-mortem report. Once this is done, Gani Patail will have a problem and he will investigate the reports. In the meanwhile, the accused can go free. They can even leave the country if they want. No problem.
Some intelligent people have told me that the purpose of the investigation into Dr Prashant’s report is to see if it is correct. Of course, whilst investigations are pending, some high officers of the health ministry have already said his report is not quite right. Gani Patail is still waiting for the official results. The suspects, meanwhile can remain free. But the problem is really this. Whilst all this is happening, another body is found outside the office of the MACC. Again, a public outcry. Again a demand for justice. The police are investigating.
