MP taken to task for claims of police inaction in alleged rape case

KUCHING: Sarawak Criminal Investigations Department (CID) chief SAC Denis Leong Soon Kuai has rebuked Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng for claiming police inaction over an alleged rape case involving a police corporal in Sarikei on Oct 29 last year.

On March 1, Lim submitted a letter to the Malaysia AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) in Kuala Lumpur urging them to investigate cases which have purportedly been swept under the carpet by the police - among which is the alleged rape case in Sarikei.

“The accused in the case is a 53 year old policeman who was charged under Section 376(1) and Section 354 of the Penal Code on Feb 27 at the Sarikei Court,” said Leong in a statement.

The accused had pleaded not guilty and was granted a RM30,000 court bail in two sureties. The trial has been fixed on June 24 to 28.

Meanwhile, Lim in his statement on March 1, had said the victim’s family claimed that no action has been taken against the police corporal for the alleged rape.

The family also claimed that a colleague of the police corporal had approached them to retract the report as the accused would be retiring in a few years’ time.

According to the 19-year-old victim, she was travelling on the 10pm bus from Kuching to Sibu to attend her elder sister’s birthday party.

The bus driver who made a short stop at the Sarikei bus terminal obliviously left the victim at the terminal around 4am.

She then proceeded to wave down a four-wheel-drive vehicle which was driven by a man who took her to the police station for “safety” purposes.

It was at the police station’s toilet that the alleged rape took place.