KUCHING, Jan 2: Imagine this: You have committed a crime and are caught by law enforcement officers. What should you do?
According to experienced lawyer Voon Lee Shan, never ever do one thing — `kautim’ with the law enforcers.
`Kautim’ is a colloquial term meaning “settle” in Cantonese. In the case of crime, it has a negative connotation as it implies solving the `problem’ through corrupt means.
“Never try to `kautim’ with them. Engage an experienced lawyer straight away to protect your interest. It is against the law to `kautim’, and there is no guarantee that you can be free from the crime,” he said.
Voon, who is a former police officer, said you could be re-arrested again for the crime later.
“Your `kautim’ could be a temporary relief only because the law enforcement officers may just put the file in the drawer.
“He could not destroy the file because records of the crime are linked to their headquarters. If the file is destroyed, the law enforcement officer concerned can be in deep trouble and he may face a criminal charge, too.
“Most probably, he will at least face a charge of destroying government property,” said Voon, who is formerly Batu Lintang assemblyman.
He added that the law enforcers concerned might have to produce the file when queried by their superiors or when there is a public complaint on the matter.
“With the use of technology, nothing can easily be hidden and swept under the carpet”, he emphasised. — DayakDaily
