Liow: Ministry and police Tung Shin probes will uncover same truth

from The Malaysian Insider :: Malaysia by len@themalaysianinsider.net

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 — Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today that the Health Ministry’s investigation into whether police intruded into the Tung Shin Hospital during the July 9 Bersih rally will result in the same findings as a probe being conducted by the police themselves.

The health minister told reporters at the prime minister’s Hari Raya open house that despite each committee calling on different witnesses, “there is only one truth.”

Liow said ‘there is only one truth’ about the Tung Shin Hospital incident. — File pic

“Our witnesses will be those under our jurisdiction — doctors, hospital staff and patients — while members of the public are under the police,” he said when asked why DAP leaders who had offered themselves as eye-witnesses to his ministry’s panel were told to report to the police instead.

The MCA deputy president said that both probes were “to find the truth and there can’t be two different things.”

In the aftermath of the rally that saw tens of thousands pour into the capital, Liow ordered the probe on July 14 after a group of medical consultants had written to the media refuting the hospital board and police who claimed that no gas canisters or water cannons were fired directly into the hospital.

The DAP then accused the authorities of sweeping the incident under the rug as its eye-witnesses were told by the Health Ministry earlier this month to join “ the police in building an investigation report that will be held soon.”

Police had absolved themselves of any wrongdoing during the July 9 rally after setting up six internal teams to investigate claims of police brutality that followed after nearly 1,700 were arrested, scores injured and an ex-solider died during chaotic scenes in the capital.

However, they admitted on July 21 that Tung Shin was hit with tear gas canisters and water cannons during the rally, but denied shooting directly into the compound.

However this statement flies in the face of various video clips uploaded on the YouTube video-sharing site showing water cannons and tear gas being fired into the hospital.

Liow also told reporters today that the ministry’s secretary-general, who is leading its investigations into incident, had yet to finalise the report after more than six weeks as “many witnesses had yet to come forward.”