The Star Malaysia

Jamal disappears again

Politician eludes police, claims prosecutio­n conspiracy

- By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and JUSTIN ZACK newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Fugitive politician Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos has done it again – he didn’t show up at the Ampang police district headquarte­rs as promised.

And the police are out to get him. “We will issue an arrest warrant to detain him as soon as possible,” Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said when contacted yesterday.

“He has been charged for three of the cases but we are still investigat­ing six other cases involving him,” said SAC Fadzil, who dismissed Jamal’s allegation­s that the police took orders from certain people before they acted against him.

After failing to complete his bail arrangemen­t last Friday, Jamal initially promised to turn himself in at the Ampang police district headquarte­rs yesterday but was a noshow.

Instead, he posted a video insisting that police give him time to surrender but alleged that there were hidden hands instructin­g police to target him.

The police had hoped for Jamal’s cooperatio­n but he has displayed a lack of respect for the law by consistent­ly failing to show up, added SAC Fadzil.

“All our actions are based on the rule of law. He is being investigat­ed for many cases.

“If you really think you are innocent, then why did you fail to show up?” asked SAC Fadzil.

Earlier at the Ampang police district headquarte­rs, people close to Jamal were also confused as to why he had gone off the radar again.

A source close to the Red Shirts movement said he was expecting the politician to come forward yesterday to settle his bail.

However, his noshow left even a staunch supporter bewildered by this latest developmen­t.

“I tried calling him numerous times (yesterday) but he didn’t pick up his phone,” said the source.

Jamal’s lawyer Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin also urged the politician to show up.

“The legal team hopes he will present himself to the police soon so all sides get an explanatio­n on what happened.

“This is also to answer rumours cropping up on social media about him,” said Mohd Imran.

The legal team, he said, had

waited for him to go to the police since Monday.

“He previously told us that he would present himself earliest Monday, so we have actually been on standby since then.

“If I know where he is, I could bring the media to see him,” he said.

He added that even his family could not contact him.

Senior lawyer Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu said it was apparent from the video today that Jamal was resorting to a ridiculous defence.

“He cannot be blowing hot and cold. He cannot violate the law and then play an innocent game.

“This sets a bad precedent for the criminal justice system in Malaysia,” he said.

 ??  ?? Also perplexed: Mohd Imran speaking to the media about Jamal’s status at the Ampang police district headquarte­rs.
Also perplexed: Mohd Imran speaking to the media about Jamal’s status at the Ampang police district headquarte­rs.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Malaysia