IMPORTANT TO STOP THE SPECULATIONS.

Press statement by Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang  -29th September 2010

The public, politicians and especially the media, should refrain from sensationalism and speculations in the murder Datuk Sosilawati and three others.Enough has been said and the priority should now be to give the police time and peace of mind to conduct thorough investigations to bring to book the culprits responsible for the slayings.Let the police complete their investigations fairly and professionally so that the case can be successfully prosecuted. Sensationalism and speculations will not bring back the dead but justice must be allowed to take its course devoid of influence.Let the police gather all the evidence they need to ensure a credible prosecution of the case.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail is right when he expressed concern over the murder probe blown out of proportion.It is only common sense that statements made by several parties on the case would jeopardise investigations.The media should especially report only on the facts and refrain from accommodating speculations.Like Gani, I also think everyone should follow the IGP (Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar)’s advice to cool down and down and leave the police do their work.

Last Sunday, Ismail advised the media to stop reporting speculations but to wait for police confirmation on any evidence.The media had reported that two graves were found in the farm, the scene of the Banting murders.Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and CIMB bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, who were reported missing on Aug 30 after they had gone to Banting, Selangor, over a land deal, were killed, their bodies burnt and the ashes thrown into rivers in the vicinity of Ladang Gadong, near Banting, according to police.Police have recovered bones and other evidence from the rivers and had picked up eight people, two of them lawyers, to facilitate their investigation.