Passport Returned To Uk Tourist On Feb 13 Says Penang Police Chief

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Penang police chief Hamzah Ahmad said Ahmed Hadi’s passport was under the court’s control and was not handled by the police. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: A British tourist, who claimed he had been stranded in Malaysia for over two months after his passport was confiscated over a RM7 parking fee, had his passport returned to him on Feb 13, say Penang police.
State police chief Hamzah Ahmad said in a statement that Ahmed Hadi, 47, was charged at the magistrates’ court in George Town on Dec 12 under Section 426 of the Penal Code for committing mischief.
Hadi was allowed bail of RM12,000, along with three local guarantors, and his passport was surrendered to the court.
Hamzah said Hadi’s passport was returned after the magistrate granted him a dismissal not amounting to an acquittal.
The 47-year-old electrician from London, who arrived in Malaysia with his wife and two daughters on Dec 4, was arrested on Dec 9 after a car park operator in Batu Ferringhi made a report against him for damaging an access barrier arm.
Hadi said his ordeal began when a payment machine refused to accept either of his credit cards while he and his family were attempting to leave a car park in Batu Ferringhi.
Unable to pay the RM7 charge, he pressed a button to request assistance. He claimed that despite a 10-minute long conversation with a parking attendant, the matter was not resolved.
Hadi said he then gently lifted the plastic barrier only for it to “cave in like paper”.
Two days later, he was called to a police station, where he was questioned for two hours about the “barrier he had broken” and was duly arrested and detained.
Hadi said he appeared in court a day later but the case was not settled as the police were given more time to investigate the alleged offence.
Hamzah said the case was postponed to Jan 22 for case mention and the handover of documents, with the next hearing to be held on Feb 13.
He said the complainant had later withdrawn the police report after Hadi paid RM1,000 in compensation.
Hadi is due to appear in court again tomorrow for reasons he said remain unclear.
Hamzah said Hadi’s passport was under the court’s control and was not handled by the police.
“During his detention, the suspect was placed in the Bayan Baru centralised lockup.
“There were no breaches of standard operating procedures and all detainees were closely monitored by the officers on duty in the lockup,” he said. - FMT

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