The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has denied the allegations of power abuse and deliberately delaying the release of those arrested in Chow Kit’s “men-only” spa on Friday night (28 November).
Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Fadil Marsus addressed rumours that claimed the police purposely detained the suspects for more than 24 hours, saying that everything was done based on standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Presence of 14 lawyers and large documentation
Fadil said the presence of a large number of lawyers and the time-consuming documentation procedures of the system were the reasons for the proceedings lasting into the night.
Revealing the chronology of the operation in detail, Fadil explained that the raid began at 8 PM, and the initial process at the scene and at the District Police Headquarters (IPD) took a long time until the official police report was completed at 12 PM the next day.
“The period claimed as a delay is actually a critical process that cannot be avoided.
“After the investigation papers are complete at 1pm, we need to enter the remand application data into the system starting at 1.30pm to 3.30pm,” Fadil explained at a press conference yesterday (3 December).
He said the remand application was then brought before the Magistrate at 6 PM, which was still within 24 hours since the arrest.
And here’s when the lawyers came into the picture.
“When the proceedings began at 6pm involving a large number of arrests and the presence of 14 lawyers, the process continued until nightfall before it was completed.”
“The public needs to understand that the police cannot immediately release detainees once a remand or bail decision is made.”
“The raid was carried out after weeks of investigations and gathering intelligence”
Fadil continued to explain and said that Profiling procedures need to be carried out, and the presence of a guarantor is required for bail matters, which also contributes to additional time. Meanwhile, he also denied allegations that the police deliberately revealed the identities of detainees to the point of affecting their careers.
According to him, police investigations are confidential, and any official information only revolves around the general facts of the case without revealing specific personal details.
