Perak PKR leader Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak has been identified as the politician arrested by the police to assist in investigations into a sex video scandal that has embroiled Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
- Farhash had previously asked Azmin to quit if the evidence over the sex video clips was overwhelmingly against him
- Mahathir unaware Anwar’s aide arrested in sex video probe
- High Court maintains Haziq’s remand at six days, five others’ cut to four
The 37-year-old, who is the political secretary of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was nabbed along with two other suspects, aged 28 and 34, in Pasir Gudang, Johor on Tuesday (July 16), according to sources.
It was learnt that the two younger suspects, one from Sabah and another from Selangor, are PKR Youth members.
Farhash had previously asked Azmin to quit if the evidence over the sex video clips was overwhelmingly against him.
Prior to this, Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, as well as five others, were picked up by the police as part of ongoing investigations into the scandal.
Azmin has, however, categorically denied this.
Haziq was first detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on June 14, and three days later, the police set up a special task force, led by Comm Huzir to investigate the case.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that he is not aware that an aide to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim was arrested in connection with the gay sex video scandal.
“I don’t know, this is the first time I’m hearing (about it),” he told reporters after the launch of the inaugural Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019 in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, the High Court has reduced the remand order for five suspects arrested in relation to the sex video scandal allegedly linked to a federal minister from six to four days.
However, the six-day remand order for Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz stays.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said on Wednesday (July 17) that Magistrate Namirah Hanum Mohamed Albaki had erred in issuing a six-day remand order for the five.
Sequerah, in his ruling, said the five were being investigated only under Section 292 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, where the maximum remand period that could be imposed at a time was four days.
“Meanwhile the other suspect (Haziq) is investigated under Section 377B of the Penal Code (as well) and his remand order remains (at six days),” he said.
The legal teams for Haziq and the other suspects had earlier filed a revision to the remand order based on two grounds.
Lawyer Ramesh Sivakumar said that one of the grounds was that the magistrate had given the remand order without satisfying herself that there was a reasonable suspicion that justified the arrests as required by law.
The second, he said, was that the magistrate did not review the remand details for each suspect individually.
The five suspects’ remand order will now last until Thursday (July 18).