Perak cops tracking down couple over blackmail claim

IPOH, May 22  -- Perak police are tracking down a couple, believed to be involved in a viral claim on social media, alleging that the husband was blackmailed by police personnel during an inspection in the district recently.

State police chief, Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, said that the police had visited the couple’s address in Kampung Kepayang, but found that the couple was not at the premises.

“I want the victims to come forward and if they are afraid to meet other police personnel, they can meet me to provide information about this incident,” he said when met by reporters, after monitoring the first day of the implementation of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Mukim Hulu Kinta at Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah today.

He said that further investigations were underway, even though the status uploaded on Facebook had been deleted by the couple.

“If they feel they have been threatened by enforcement agency personnel, then I ask them to come forward so that we can take stern action against the policemen involved,” he said.

Recently, a Facebook account user, under the name of Hawaa Azmann, claimed that her husband was a victim of extortion after their savings were seized by the police during the Ramadan month, but they had no evidence relating to the incident.

The status also mentioned that her husband was believed to be able to recognise the faces of several police personnel involved who were driving in three Honda cars.

However, she then made another statement of apology, to clear the name of the police by explaining that the incident was only her husband’s fabrication and that the money had been used for other purposes.

-- BERNAMA