Sunday, March 27, 2016 9:04:07 PM
Australian journalists detained then released in Malaysia.
.. this has tinges of serious corruption, a former attorney-general who
had planned to file criminal charges against Najib Razak was sacked ..
Four Corners crew Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu leave Malaysia for Singapore
By South East Asia correspondent Adam Harvey in Kuching, staff
Updated 15 Mar 2016, 7:25pm
Video: Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu talk about being detained in Malaysia (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/linton-besser-and-louie-eroglu-talk-about-being/7248944
Photo: Reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu at the airport before leaving Malaysia. (Twitter: Adam Harvey)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/abc-journalists-linton-besser-and-louie-eroglu-leaving-malaysia/7248226
Related Story: 'If you go quietly it's OK': ABC reporter describes frightening detention in Malaysia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-reporter-describes-arrest,-detention-in-malaysia/7249174
Map: [ a good map, worth a peek ] Malaysia
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Malaysia/@2.5,112.5,5z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3034d3975f6730af:0x745969328211cd8
The Four Corners team detained in Malaysia after trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak have
left the country and flown to Singapore after authorities decided not to press charges against them.
--
Key points:
* Four Corners team has arrived in Singapore
* They were escorted out of Malaysia after a case against them was dropped
* They initially faced charge of obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties
--
Reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu arrived in Singapore this afternoon on a Malaysia Airlines flight.
"It's been something of a rollercoaster," Besser said before leaving.
"We came to Sarawak expecting to be here only a matter of hours really. And so it's been pretty eventful being arrested."
"I expected the worst. I basically prepared for the worst case scenario," Eroglu added.
The pair were due to be charged over Besser's questioning of Mr Najib, but prosecutors changed their minds early on Tuesday morning ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-will-not-be-charged-in-malaysia/7246618 .
Police claimed the pair crossed a police line and ignored their instructions while trying to question Mr Najib.
The ABC journalists deny the claim.
The pair were told by authorities to leave Malaysia this morning and were escorted through Kuching's international airport.
"When we got the news that last night we're going to be charged, that was very disappointing and alarming," Besser said.
--
Putting a spotlight on Malaysia, again
The arrest and eventual release of a Four Corners crew in Malaysia reminds Catherine
McGrath of her own arrest while reporting for the ABC there, 20 years ago.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/mcgrath-four-corners-arrest/7244938
--
"And then in the middle of the night, getting a knock on the door from Louie, that there's been a sudden change of plan again.
"Our lawyer came to the hotel and said he's received written confirmation from the chief of police that the charges were now going to be dropped. So that's a great relief."
In a statement, ABC News director Gaven Morris said he was "very glad and relieved" at the outcome, saying the corporation stood by its journalists.
"They did nothing wrong in Kuching. They were doing journalism. This incident has demonstrated again why it is vital to defend media freedom, including the right to question authority," he said.
"Linton and Louie are continuing their work, investigating the story they are working on for Four Corners. We look forward to seeing their full report in coming weeks."
'There was no police line'
Video: Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu arrested by Malaysian police at PM's press conference (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/4-corners-crew-arrested-while-attempting-to/7248934
On Saturday night, Besser questioned Mr Najib as he walked into a mosque, asking him why hundreds of millions of dollars had been deposited into his bank account.
"We landed about 8 o'clock and we went to the public event, the event the Prime Minister Najib Razak had put out a media call for," Besser said.
--
Never crossed a police line. There was no police line.
Four Corners reporter Linton Besser
--
"He invited journalists, it was a public event. Louie and I had barely any time to communicate about where we were going to be. We walked in and saw a bunch of journalists, tripods and cameras, so we joined up with them and suddenly the PM arrived.
"As soon as I tried to ask a question to the Prime Minister I was a bundled away by police, and that led to a chain of events that brings us to now."
The pair were surrounded by Mr Najib's security team and then allowed to leave, before later being arrested and questioned for six hours in a police station.
Their passports were taken and later returned, but they were told not to leave the country while their case was investigated.
"Never crossed a police line. There was no police line," Besser said.
"The first time I got an instruction was after I threw a couple of questions for the Prime Minister to answer and the police told me to stop and step away, and that's exactly what I did.
"Louie stopped filming and we cooperated at all times with the police. There was no obstruction at all."
Pair were under threat of two years imprisonment
On Monday night, Besser and Eroglu were told they would likely be charged with obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-to-be-charged-over-questioning-of-malaysian-pm/7246580 .
If they were found guilty of the charge they could have faced two years in prison.
[ a tweet photo ]
The lawyer for the ABC pair, Albert Tang, said he received a call from Ng Ahlek, the superintendent of police for Malaysia's Padawan District, telling him to bring his clients to court at 8:30am Tuesday (local time) so they could be charged.
"When asked who made the decision to institute the charge against my clients, he said it was the Attorney-General who made the decision," Mr Tang said on Monday.
He said that normally those decisions were made by a local deputy public prosecutor.
But three hours after the pair were given the order to appear in court on Tuesday morning, their lawyer was called by police and told no charges would be filed and they may be able to leave the country after some paperwork.
The pair travelled to Kuching police station this morning to finalise documents to have their bail cancelled.
It was not clear why authorities had not followed through with the case after Mr Tang was contacted and told the court appearance was not warranted.
.. with links to the story from other news sites .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-leave-malaysia/7247448
.. this has tinges of serious corruption, a former attorney-general who
had planned to file criminal charges against Najib Razak was sacked ..
Four Corners crew Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu leave Malaysia for Singapore
By South East Asia correspondent Adam Harvey in Kuching, staff
Updated 15 Mar 2016, 7:25pm
Video: Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu talk about being detained in Malaysia (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/linton-besser-and-louie-eroglu-talk-about-being/7248944
Photo: Reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu at the airport before leaving Malaysia. (Twitter: Adam Harvey)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/abc-journalists-linton-besser-and-louie-eroglu-leaving-malaysia/7248226
Related Story: 'If you go quietly it's OK': ABC reporter describes frightening detention in Malaysia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-reporter-describes-arrest,-detention-in-malaysia/7249174
Map: [ a good map, worth a peek ] Malaysia
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Malaysia/@2.5,112.5,5z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3034d3975f6730af:0x745969328211cd8
The Four Corners team detained in Malaysia after trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak have
left the country and flown to Singapore after authorities decided not to press charges against them.
--
Key points:
* Four Corners team has arrived in Singapore
* They were escorted out of Malaysia after a case against them was dropped
* They initially faced charge of obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties
--
Reporter Linton Besser and cameraman Louie Eroglu arrived in Singapore this afternoon on a Malaysia Airlines flight.
"It's been something of a rollercoaster," Besser said before leaving.
"We came to Sarawak expecting to be here only a matter of hours really. And so it's been pretty eventful being arrested."
"I expected the worst. I basically prepared for the worst case scenario," Eroglu added.
The pair were due to be charged over Besser's questioning of Mr Najib, but prosecutors changed their minds early on Tuesday morning ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-will-not-be-charged-in-malaysia/7246618 .
Police claimed the pair crossed a police line and ignored their instructions while trying to question Mr Najib.
The ABC journalists deny the claim.
The pair were told by authorities to leave Malaysia this morning and were escorted through Kuching's international airport.
"When we got the news that last night we're going to be charged, that was very disappointing and alarming," Besser said.
--
Putting a spotlight on Malaysia, again
The arrest and eventual release of a Four Corners crew in Malaysia reminds Catherine
McGrath of her own arrest while reporting for the ABC there, 20 years ago.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/mcgrath-four-corners-arrest/7244938
--
"And then in the middle of the night, getting a knock on the door from Louie, that there's been a sudden change of plan again.
"Our lawyer came to the hotel and said he's received written confirmation from the chief of police that the charges were now going to be dropped. So that's a great relief."
In a statement, ABC News director Gaven Morris said he was "very glad and relieved" at the outcome, saying the corporation stood by its journalists.
"They did nothing wrong in Kuching. They were doing journalism. This incident has demonstrated again why it is vital to defend media freedom, including the right to question authority," he said.
"Linton and Louie are continuing their work, investigating the story they are working on for Four Corners. We look forward to seeing their full report in coming weeks."
'There was no police line'
Video: Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu arrested by Malaysian police at PM's press conference (ABC News)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/4-corners-crew-arrested-while-attempting-to/7248934
On Saturday night, Besser questioned Mr Najib as he walked into a mosque, asking him why hundreds of millions of dollars had been deposited into his bank account.
"We landed about 8 o'clock and we went to the public event, the event the Prime Minister Najib Razak had put out a media call for," Besser said.
--
Never crossed a police line. There was no police line.
Four Corners reporter Linton Besser
--
"He invited journalists, it was a public event. Louie and I had barely any time to communicate about where we were going to be. We walked in and saw a bunch of journalists, tripods and cameras, so we joined up with them and suddenly the PM arrived.
"As soon as I tried to ask a question to the Prime Minister I was a bundled away by police, and that led to a chain of events that brings us to now."
The pair were surrounded by Mr Najib's security team and then allowed to leave, before later being arrested and questioned for six hours in a police station.
Their passports were taken and later returned, but they were told not to leave the country while their case was investigated.
"Never crossed a police line. There was no police line," Besser said.
"The first time I got an instruction was after I threw a couple of questions for the Prime Minister to answer and the police told me to stop and step away, and that's exactly what I did.
"Louie stopped filming and we cooperated at all times with the police. There was no obstruction at all."
Pair were under threat of two years imprisonment
On Monday night, Besser and Eroglu were told they would likely be charged with obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-to-be-charged-over-questioning-of-malaysian-pm/7246580 .
If they were found guilty of the charge they could have faced two years in prison.
[ a tweet photo ]
The lawyer for the ABC pair, Albert Tang, said he received a call from Ng Ahlek, the superintendent of police for Malaysia's Padawan District, telling him to bring his clients to court at 8:30am Tuesday (local time) so they could be charged.
"When asked who made the decision to institute the charge against my clients, he said it was the Attorney-General who made the decision," Mr Tang said on Monday.
He said that normally those decisions were made by a local deputy public prosecutor.
But three hours after the pair were given the order to appear in court on Tuesday morning, their lawyer was called by police and told no charges would be filed and they may be able to leave the country after some paperwork.
The pair travelled to Kuching police station this morning to finalise documents to have their bail cancelled.
It was not clear why authorities had not followed through with the case after Mr Tang was contacted and told the court appearance was not warranted.
.. with links to the story from other news sites .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/four-corners-crew-leave-malaysia/7247448
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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