More than 24 hours after audio exposé, cops yet to receive reports

Police have not received any report from either Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or Anwar Ibrahim, more than 24 hours after an audio recording of them in an explosive phone conversation was made public, sparking anger within Umno.

A spokesman for the Bukit Aman police headquarters confirmed to MalaysiaNow that no police report had been lodged as of press time despite denials from both Zahid and Anwar.

Both politicians had said they would instruct their officers to lodge police reports to investigate the clip.

Zahid and Anwar, the Umno and PKR presidents, claim that the audio recording is a fabrication of their voices.

In the four-minute clip revealed by MalaysiaNow yesterday, Anwar is heard congratulating and giving instructions to Zahid in the aftermath of the latter’s speech at the Umno general assembly, calling on delegates to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional government.

Zahid in return thanked Anwar for his moral support.

• ‘Bersatu politics’ to attack Umno leaders, Anwar says on leaked call with Zahid
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• Vile attack against me, says Zahid after leaked phone call with Anwar
• Revealed: Explosive telephone conversation between Anwar and Zahid

Despite their denials, MalaysiaNow has been able to verify that the clip is authentic, and that the voices belong to Anwar and Zahid.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised on why the two leaders decided to use third parties to lodge reports about a clip which involves them.

When contacted, a senior lawyer told MalaysiaNow that it could be due to legal ramifications.

Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla said there was a risk that they could be accused of lodging a false police report, in the event that an investigation concluded that the recording was genuine.

“If it turns out that one or both of them are involved, and it is they themselves who lodged the report, it can be said that they gave false reports,” he told MalaysiaNow.

“It is possible that they are resorting to a legal tactic in which their officers would lodge the reports, so that they themselves would not be accused of making false reports.”