Molest case: 'Datuk Seri' gives statement to police
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 26, 2008

A former cabinet minister, implicated in a molest case, has given a statement to facilitate police investigations yesterday, according to
MCPX
Bernama.

The VIP was alleged to have molested a hotel assistant supervisor at a luxury hotel near the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station on April 14.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman said the man, who carries the title "Datuk Seri", had his statement taken at 11am, but declined to state the venue.

According to Muhammad Sabtu, police will continue to investigate although the victim has retracted her police report.

Besides other eyewitnesses, the victim will also be called in to assist in their investigations, said Muhammad Sabtu.

Accompanied by top-notch criminal lawyer Shafee Abdullah, the 30-year-old victim said in a statutory declaration two days after reporting the incident, that the whole situation was misunderstood.

Shafee added that the woman said she was "sensitive and moody" at the time of the incident.

She said she had known the former minister over the past five years, and he had acted in jest without any bad intention.

However, she added, she had felt offended at that time due to her "complicated mood," leading to her lodging a police report the next day.

Hugged by former minister

In her initial report, the woman had alleged that the former minister had hugged her while she was working in a cigar shop of the five-star hotel.

The declaration has been passed to the Attorney General's chambers and the police.

dap islamic state roundtable 100807 karpal singhMeanwhile, DAP national chairman and lawyer Karpal Singh said the woman cannot withdraw the report, according to law.

"A person who lodges a report cannot at his whim and fancy withdraw same by way of a letter of statutory declaration. A person who lodges a report runs the risk of lodging a false report. He is bound by the contents of the report," he said in a statement.

Karpal said action against the former minister should be taken if the contents of the report were found to be true, even though the report had been withdrawn.

"However, if the probe reveals that the contents of the report are false, then the woman should be charged with giving false information to the police."

Meanwhile, it has been widely speculated that the former minister is from Umno and still a serving member of Parliament. 

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