Four policemen were sentenced to six months imprisonment each for assaulting an Indonesian, who was a referee for a karate championship, three years ago.
Abdul Aziz Shamsudin 23, Adi Sebi 35, Helmi Hussanie Sukri 24 and Mohd Dzulhaffiz Che Zainal 45 were charged with voluntarily injuring Donald Peter Luther Kolopitha along the road outside a Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia hostel in Nilai at about 2am on Aug 24, 2007.
Kolopitha, who was here with the Indonesian karate team, was a referee at the Eighth Asian Karate Championship held at the Nilai Indoor Stadium.
The sentences were passed by Magistrate Nor Alis Mas at the magistrate’s court here on Thursday.
They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of one year and RM2,000 fine.
At the time, the beating had sparked off anti-Malaysian demonstrations in several cities in Indonesia.
In his police report then, Kolopitha claimed he was going for supper around 2am when a white unmarked van stopped near him and four men got out and pushed him into the vehicle. He alleged that he was handcuffed and beaten. It was alleged that his assailants took his passport, wallet, watch and money.
He allegedly suffered injuries to his chest and abdomen and was only released hours later and sent to the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital.
Kolopitha claimed he fought the four as he thought they were robbers. The four policemen had alleged that Kolopitha was behaving suspiciously and tried to punch them and run away when questioned.
