Charge me so I can tell all in court, ex MP says

Gobalakrishnan says that if police do not charge him, they must investigate who among their officers are allegedly involved in crime.

GEORGE TOWN: Former Padang Serai parliamentarian N Gobalakrishnan, who was just released from remand wants to be charged in court to enable him to prove his allegations that some police officers are backing criminals in Penang.

The former Kedah PKR local leader claimed that he had all the evidence to substantiate his claims that some Indian police officers were protecting hardcore criminals and drug dealers.

If he was not charged, Gobalakrishnan insisted that the police would then have to investigate their own officers based on his complaints.

“I’m the complainant. Police detained and remanded me. If they (do) not charge me, they (have) to investigate and charge their police officers.

“I prefer to be charged so that I can prove everything in court,” Gobalakrishnan said.

He was released on police bail here today from the Jalan Patani police station after having been remanded for three days since February 10.

Gobalakrishnan said he declined to have his statement recorded during his remand, insisting that “I will only talk and prove everything in court.”

He also said the police were not interested about investigating him per se, but did want information from him about their officers.

Gobalakrishnan was probed for obstructing police officers from executing their duties (Section 108), criminal defamation (Section 500), intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace (Section 504) and criminal intimidation (Section 506).

He was detained in his Kulim home a day earlier to assist in investigations over a tweet he made and several Facebook postings alleging that some Indian police officers were abetting criminal activities in Penang.

Gobalakrishnan’s lawyer S Raveentharan said police would now refer his client’s case to the DPP office for further action.

It was learnt that Gobalakrishnan had earlier spoken up about the police after a swoop on 33 Indian youths, who were allegedly partying at a birthday bash at an entertainment outlet in the city.

The police claimed that the youths were picked up because they were suspected to be planning riots during last week’s Thaipusam celebrations in Penang.

However, it was later learnt that the youths, including students and sons of policemen, were released well before the Hindu festival celebrations took place on February 3.