Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today threatened legal action against human rights advocacy group Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (Caged) whom he accused of making malicious and defamatory statements against him.
The former inspector-general of police has consistently insisted that he did not provide false testimony to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) during its public inquiry on the disappearances of Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.
“I find that Caged’s remark, blindly accusing me of lying to the nation, and I believe that the NGO is accusing me of this, by way of my testimony to the Suhakam inquiry panelists, to be malicious and defamatory.
“In my defence, I would like to clearly state here, that I was not lying in my testimony. I stand by what I had stated to the panel members and I still do,” Khalid said in a statement to the Malay Mail.
He demanded an apology from Caged, which is part of non-governmental organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia.
Khalid said he was not present when Suhakam announced its conclusions that incriminated the police, in particular, the Special Branch, as being behind the “enforced disappearances” of Koh and Amri because he was not invited.
However, he said he will cooperate in any future investigations on the two men’s disappearances.
“I was at all times, prepared to attend the inquiry and testify and therefore, this public lynching being done by Caged is grossly unfair to me.
“I demand that they retract their statement and issue an immediate apology. I will consider taking legal action should Caged refuse to do so,” Khalid said.
Caged issued a statement earlier today calling on the Pakatan Harapan government to prove its commitment to institutional reform by taking immediate action on those perpetrators involved in the “enforced disappearances”.
Among others, it urged the home minister to suspend the police officers in charge of those cases within the week, including incumbent IGP Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun who was head of the Special Branch at the time Koh and Amri were abducted.
Caged also demanded the government investigate Khalid whom it claimed “lied to the nation, and publicly rebuke the police force for boycotting the Suhakam Panel’s announcement and release of its decision yesterday”.
Taking to Twitter, Khalid also expressed readiness to face fresh investigations
“I am ready for any investigation and I’m sure it is the same with TS Fuzi.
“It looks like you are ignorant of the prevailing laws and court procedures.
“Whatever I did was in compliance with the prevailing law of the land,” he said in a series of tweets responding to critics.