IGP: I won’t protect myself, my family
KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said he would not protect himself nor his family if allegations of their involvement in unlawful activities were proven true.
Khalid said he would not collude in illegal activities and would fully cooperate with the probe team if the allegations were investigated.
“People know me and my family members and if we have engaged in illegal activities, we have to answer for this,” he told reporters after launching ‘’Op Selamat 11/2017’’ at Menara TM, here, yesterday in conjunction with the upcoming Aidilfitri celebration.
He was asked to comment on the Sarawak Report news portal report on Monday, claiming that one K. Gopinathan, the suspected go-between in the collection of protection money from operators of illegal gambling outlets in Melaka, had close links with Khalid and his family.
The news portal also claimed that there were records of phone calls between Gopinathan and Khalid and his son, Khairul Amri.
Khalid admitted that he and his family members knew Gopinathan well.
“What I know is that Sarawak Report has evil intentions against me and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) as many of its allegations and accusations are baseless,” he said.
He said the founder and editor of Sarawak Report, Claire Rewcastle-Brown, should come forward with proof of her allegations against various parties including PDRM.
“If what she says is true, she should come forward with the documents as proof,” he added.
Khalid said police would also give full cooperation to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in the investigation into illegal gambling and running of unlicensed massage parlours in Melaka.
When asked on the reported discovery of US$120,000 in cash belonging to the murdered Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Khalid confirmed the discovery but declined to reveal the actual amount.
“Don’t believe everything that the foreign media report,” he said.
Kim Jong-nam was murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) last Feb 13 when two foreign women allegedly smeared his face with the toxic VX nerve agent.
Meanwhile, Rewcastle-Brown declined to visit Malaysia to aid investigations here, after Khalid refused to guarantee her “safe passage.”
She thanked Khalid for inviting her to assist local investigations into claims made on her website, but noted that the IGP has the power to obtain the same documents she used in her reports.
“So, since the IGP is the man who can provide safe passage and is now openly refusing to do so, we fear that we are going to have to decline his doubtless wellintentioned and gracious offer,” she said in a statement.
Rewcastle-Brown also claimed that Khalid’s admitted ties to a man Sarawak Report accused of collecting “protection” money was sufficient evidence that its other reports were accurate.