The Putrajaya Court of Appeal has ordered the Federal Government and the Royal Malaysian Police Force (PDRM) to pay more than RM300,000 to a lorry driver who was tortured while in police custody.
The Star Online reports Justice Zaharah Ibrahim of the Court of Appeal and the three-man panel she chairs affirmed the award granted to B Prabakar, 33. The other two judges on the panel were Justices Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim and Mohd Zawawi Salleh.
Prabakar had claimed that he was beaten and doused with hot water by seven police officers after being arrested in Sri Hartamas in December 2008.
In his statement of claim filed on Sept 21, 2011, Prabakar had named Sjn Mohd Shafiee Abdul Halim, Sjn Mohd Diah Sulaiman, Sjn Zulkiplly, Kpl Abdullah Musa, Kpl Zamrin, L/Kpl Matila @ Saudi Ismail, L/Kpl Nizam Abd Wahab, ACP Wan Abdul Bari and the Government as defendants.
In the suit, Prabakar claimed that he was arrested by police at a car park in Sri Hartamas at 9.30pm on Dec 23, 2008, and was interrogated by seven policemen at the Brickfields district police station from 10pm that day until the next morning.
He was remanded for five days.
In July last year, High Court judge Justice John Louis O’ Hara awarded RM150,000 to Prabakar for exemplary and punitive damages, RM100,000 for aggravated damages and RM50,000 for general damages.
He also ordered the plaintiff to be paid RM1,500 for loss of income, RM150 for medical bills and RM75 for photographs of Prabakar’s injuries.
On Oct 4, 2011, Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Katar sentenced Sjn Mohd Shafiee and Sjn Mohd Diah to four years’ jail each after they were convicted of causing grievous hurt to Prabakar.
The other five policemen were acquitted on Sept 12, 2011.
