IGP: VIDEO WRONGLY TRANSLATED

‘Cops arrived at scene fewer than 10 minutes after receiving distress call’

POLICE have denied allegations that the authorities did not respond immediately to the murder of a Palestinian private university lecturer in Setapak on Saturday.

Footage of a Middle Eastern man claiming this, complete with Bahasa Melayu subtitles, has gone viral.

In the video clip, the man claimed that police arrived at the scene 50 minutes after the incident occurred, despite 43 calls being made, with an ambulance arriving only an hour later.

However, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the video was translated wrongly.

“We have interviewed Muhammad Najmi Rohaizad Mohd Nazri, who translated the video.

“He admitted that he mistranslated it. The subtitles made it look like the victim died because police were late in responding to the case and that he could have survived if the rescue team had arrived earlier.

“The man in the video claimed that he was with the victim during the incident, but based on interviews with witnesses, no foreigner was with the victim when the incident occurred.”

Fuzi said the Middle Easterner actually said he contacted police three or four times and not 43 times as translated in the video.

“According to MERS 999 record, a distress call on the case was received at 6.41am before a patrol car was instructed to go to the scene at 6.44am, arriving five minutes later.

“We urge the man in the video to come forward to facilitate investigations.”

On claims that witnesses said the gunmen looked “European” or Caucasian, he said police were examining witnesses’ statements for information.

“Police are gathering information while waiting for a sketch of the suspect.

“We have yet to confirm whether those involved are Europeans. This is based on statements recorded from witnesses.

“Police are identifying the motive of the case (to determine whether) it was related to the conflict in Palestine.”

Wangsa Maju police chief Superintendent Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif refuted claims that the man in a viral photo was the main suspect in the case.

However, he said police had detained a man on Saturday, adding that the Indian citizen was released after it was found that he had nothing to do with the case.