By Debra Chong
May 05, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Retired cop Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim wants a royal panel to probe the government’s top lawyer whom he blamed for prolonging a police investigation into a controversial sex video linked to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mat Zain has repeatedly accused Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail of having deceived the federal government and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in several high-profile cases.
The ex-cop said the series of deception had caused the destruction of public confidence in the police.
“In my opinion, in the interest of public justice, I suggest Tan Sri raise this issue to the prime minister and suggest an RCI or a tribunal be formed to investigate this claim in a transparent and comprehensive manner for once and for all,” he said in the latest of a series of open letters addressed to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today.
“Whatever the circumstances, the police must not let Gani Patail (picture)‘hold’ the prime minister or anyone else as his ‘hostage’,” he added.
In today’s letter, Mat Zain also accused Ismail’s predecessor Tan Sri Musa Hassan of having conspired with the A-G in several cases, saying that this cemented the impression the police were not independent and could not be trusted to protect the public’s interests.
“Personally, I find the PDRM (police) following the Attorney-General’s evidence as if it is not independent. As a retiree who is familiar with the origins of the issue, I am sad and fear that history will repeat itself and the banana will fruit twice,” he said in the letter.
“Their offences, whether separate or together, have created a grave and long-term impact on the national justice system. In fact, their actions have destroyed the public’s trust, not only towards the police but towards the office of the Attorney-General’s Chambers itself,” he added, referring to Gani and Musa.
Mat Zain had headed the 1998 police probe into Anwar’s black-eye case.
The former senior investigator named the black-eye case, the lack of prosecution action against former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, and the ongoing trial into the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal as examples.
Rahim is one of the “Datuk T” trio who have admitted to screening the sex video but who have yet to be charged.
The 21-minute video shows a man resembling Anwar having sex with a woman with Oriental features and was first aired to reporters at the prestigious Carcosa Seri Negara hotel here last month by a man who called himself “Datuk T”.
A few days after the viewing, “Datuk T” was unmasked to be a group moniker used by Rahim and his two partners, businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and pro-Malay rights supporter Datuk Shuib Lazim.
During a March 24 press conference, Rahim said the video was exposed to show “a man who wants to be prime minister is not qualified.”
Mat Zain, a former Kuala Lumpur CID chief, had previously linked the sex video to another, said to also feature Anwar, which had surfaced 12 years ago in 1999.
Mat Zain had asked the police to investigate any possible links between the two tapes and whether Gani could be trusted to discharge his duties professionally because of his past involvements in various anti-Anwar episodes.
The police are investigating the trio under section 292 of the Penal Code for screening pornographic material.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that the probe was still ongoing but was confident the police would resubmit investigation papers to the A-G for further action.
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