Friday, March 13, 2009

Teresa Kok files suit against Home Minister for unlawful arrest - Star

March 13, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok Suh Sim on Friday filed a suit against Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and three others claiming that she was wrongfully arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) last year.

She filed the suit through Messrs S.N. Nair & Partners at the High Court registry here at 8.40am.

Besides Syed Hamid, she also named Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, DSP E Kim Tien and the Malaysian government as defendants.

In her statement of claim, Kok said that she was arrested by the defendants at the entrance to her residence at Pearl Tower, OG Heights at 11.15pm on Sept 12 last year and detained for two hours without being allowed to contact her closest relative or her lawyer.

She said that at 2am on Sept 13 at the Wangsa Maju police station she was informed by the three defendants that she was detained under section 73(1) of the ISA on the ground that she had taken part in activities that could cause tension and racial clashes.

Kok said she was then sent to a secret location where she was detained without trial until Sept 19. She claimed that her arrest and detention were done without basis.

She said Deputy Inspector-Geneal of Police, Datuk Ismail Omar, issued an official press statement on Sept 19, 2008, which was published in the media, saying that she was released unconditionally because "the police were satisfied that she was not a threat to public order and security".

Kok claimed that because of the negligence, arbitrariness and frivolity of the defendants in effecting her wrongul arrest and detention, she had been placed under severe mental stress, pain and suffering due to food poisoning and denial of her constitutional rights.

She is seeking damages for wrongful arrest and detention, pain and suffering and mental stress, general and special damages and other reliefs deemed fit by the court. - Bernama

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