Issued a one-day remand.
Former Umno Youth executive council member Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, was arrested at his home in Putrajaya today to assist in investigations into a fraud case involving the collection of funds using the name of a company.
He was arrested at 1.30am by eight police officers despite having confirmed an appointment with the police at 11am, said his lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali.
The arrest warrant was from the same officer from Bukit Aman’s Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Unit that Wan Azri was supposed to meet, Rafique added.
A report against Wan Azri was lodged by a minister, he claimed.
“Arresting him early this morning and using this agency is an abuse of power at a very cruel level,” the lawyer said in a statement.
The investigating officer informed Wan Azri he was being remanded to assist in the investigation of a case under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which pertains to cheating and dishonesty, inducing delivery of property.
Those convicted under this section may be punished with imprisonment between one to 10 years, whipping, and a fine of an undetermined amount.
Rafique said Wan Azri was issued a one-day remand by the remand court at the Jinjang lockup in Kuala Lumpur.
Further developments will be announced, he added.
Wan Azri is a pro-Perikatan Nasional activist and a former Umno Youth executive council member.
He was charged with sedition in May over a social media post on socks with the word Allah, in which he questioned a meeting between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and KK Mart founder Chai Kee Kan.
After that, he accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of abusing his power by meddling with the country’s judicial system, when the prosecution in his sedition case requested that bail not be granted and for a gag order to be issued.