Australia raises case of detained newsmen with Malaysia

[webfact]

Australia raises case of detained newsmen with Malaysia
ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia is concerned about the detention two Australian journalists who attempted to interview the Malaysian prime minister over corruption allegations, the foreign minister said Monday.

Australian Broadcasting Corp. television reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu were arrested in the city of Kuching on Saturday after approaching Prime Minister Najib Razak on the street.

They were detained by Malaysian police for six hours and told to remain in Kuching while authorities decided whether they should be charged, ABC said.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop suggested the detention was part of a Malaysian crackdown on press freedom and said Australia was raising their case at the "highest levels within the Malaysian government."

"I'm always concerned where there are instances of a crackdown on freedom of speech in democracies, particularly, and I'm also concerned about the freedom that journalists have to carry out their work in places around the world," Bishop told reporters during a visit to Fiji.

The Malaysian news agency Bernama cited national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying officials would discuss with Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali whether to charge the pair.

Najib is engulfed in a scandal over $681 million deposited into his bank accounts in early 2013. Critics accuse him of corruption and say the money came from an indebted state investment fund which he founded in 2009.

In January, Apandi decided not to prosecute the prime minister, saying the money was a "personal donation" from the Saudi royal family.

Besser and Eroglu, on assignment for an investigative current affairs program, had asked Najib as he entered a mosque why the money had been deposited into his accounts, the ABC reported.

Najib did not respond and his security detail surrounded the two and questioned them. They were allowed to leave but were detained again as they returned to their hotel, the ABC said.

They were questioned in a police station for six hours and their passports were taken.

ABC denied police allegations that Besser and Eroglu crossed a security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister.

They stopped filming and left the event when they were asked to, the network said.

Their passports were returned but they were told they must remain in Kuching while the attorney-general's office decided whether they should be charged. That decision is expected in the next several days.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-14

[up2u2]

Well Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is a 'two faced' liar. Fact is her government has led an attack on the ABC and at every turn has tried to de fund it and shut it down so it can no longer hold her government to account. Her Prime Minister Abbott, who was shown the door, gave absolute guarantees prior to taking office that there would be no cuts to the ABC or SBS public broadcasters and then, once elected, proceeded to do just that. After the Supreme Court of Australia the Australian Broadcasting Authority is the most respected institution by the Australian People.

She couldn't care less about these two journalists. In fact nothing would please her, and her Right Wing government than ALL ABC journalists locked up. One thing Right Wing governments simply refuse to tolerate is being held to account. Absolutely no different to the Malaysian Government, two peas in a pod.

[bendejo]

I can just hear Najib now: "we live differently here, we do not not care for this asking of questions..." He'll threaten them with the Internal Security Act then send them home with a threatening glance. He's desperate, he can't fire anybody else because they're already gone. I'm waiting for it to catch up with him, throw his arse in jail, like he did to his opposition.

Probably his next step will be to become incredibly devout, pandering to PAS to help him survive.

tick tick tick . . .

Edited March 14, 2016 by bendejo

[up2u2]

It is an absolute joke when Bishop says '"I'm always concerned where there are instances of a crackdown on freedom of speech in democracies" she has to be kidding. She went after probably the most respected journalist in Australia Tony Jones trying to get him sacked. Politician talking absolute rubbish.

[Ulic]

You conduct an ambush interview of a foreign head of state, on foreign soil and you are dammed lucky that is all that happened. Make no mistake Malaysia is a third world country with a western veneer. Up until recently able to cover up/hide corruption because of high oil prices and enough to swish around.