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![]() Tuesday, March 2, 1999 Published at 08:27 GMT ![]() ![]() World: Asia-Pacific ![]() 'Insult' provoked Anwar beating ![]() The former police chief says he was under pressure from unrest in Kuala Lumpur ![]() The former Malaysian police chief has said he slapped former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a fit of anger.
The former police chief had already admitted assaulting Mr Anwar after his arrest last September on corruption charges.
Lost control
He denied being given instructions from the prime minister or anyone else to beat up Mr Anwar. "Let me make it clear, my act as referred to was not prompted, abetted, instructed, advised, directed, assisted by anyone else, not even my police officers who helped me, not even the prime minister," he said. The former police chief said Mr Anwar, who was blinfolded in his prison cell at the time, fell over on a concrete slab. Under pressure
He said that in that split second he could not remember whether he delivered other blows to Mr Anwar because he felt someone pulling him out of the cell. He said he was under pressure at the time because he said a frightening and chaotic situation prevailed in Kuala Lumpur at the time because of tens of thousands of people taking part in opposition demonstrations. 'Potentially lethal'
Mr Anwar said he was assaulted repeatedly before passing out. Giving testimony last week, he told the independent commission he was punched, karate-chopped and slapped at least seven times until he was bleeding and later passed out unconscious.
Mr Anwar's trial on charges of corruption is continuing. He denies the charges which he says stem from a political conspiracy aimed at destroying his political career. ![]() |
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