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The families of three men shot dead by police in Durian Tunggal, Melaka, on 24 November have challenged the police's official account
The families of the alleged armed robbers claim the men were unarmed and did not attack officers during the incident that happened around 4am.
At a press conference today, 3 December, at the Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) office, the families presented a 13-minute audio recording of one of the victims speaking to his wife moments before and during the shooting.
In the recording, G Logeswaran, 29, can be heard pleading with officers, repeatedly saying, "Jangan Abang, saya ada anak" (Please don't, brother. I have a kid), before gunshots are heard.
Jayashree, the wife of Logeswaran, one of the three men shot dead, who recorded the call, said the audio shows the men cooperating with police, reported Malaysiakini.
"Suddenly, the police attacked; you could hear the sounds, and he (Logeswaran) cried out in pain. His voice of pain was clearly audible. When someone told him to sit, he sat down as well. 'Ya bang (yes, brother), I am sitting,' Logeswaran replied," she told reporters.
Lawyers representing the families, Rajesh Nagarajan, Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, and Arun Dorasamy, claimed the evidence presented by police was "fabricated"
They claimed the alleged evidence, including accusations that one of the men had slashed a policeman with a machete, was untrue.
"There were no parang and no attack against any policeman," they claimed, contradicting statements issued by Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, who told the media that the men were shot dead in "self-defence".
They insisted all three had cooperated with officers and were unarmed at the time of the shooting, according to the New Straits Times.
G Venodthan, CEO of Thistlegorm Forensic, which analysed the recording, said the audio indicates the men were restrained immediately after exiting their car, with no audible signs of weapons being used.
He added that the post-mortem reports, which showed downward bullet trajectories, suggest the men may have been kneeling when shot, raising concerns of an "execution-style" killing, reported FMT.
The families' legal team has called on Bukit Aman to conduct an independent investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code
They also called for the immediate suspension of all officers involved and for the Melaka police to recuse themselves from the probe.
"Wrongdoers cannot investigate wrongdoers. That does not make sense. The wrongdoers must be investigated by a higher authority," said Rajesh.
They also urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to convene an urgent Cabinet meeting and consider establishing an independent commission or royal commission of inquiry to examine the possibility of police misconduct.
The families' lawyers said the audio recording, together with forensic findings and post-mortem reports, raises serious questions about the circumstances of the deaths and casts doubt on the official narrative that the men attacked officers during Op Casa Melaka.
Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar previously stated that the three men, known as "Geng DT", were suspected of at least 20 robberies in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor since last year
He said officers attempted to apprehend the trio at an oil palm plantation around 4am, and that one of the men had allegedly slashed a police corporal, seriously injuring his left arm.
He said police opened fire, in self-defence, killing all three.
Officers reported recovering machetes, a grille cutter, gloves, and face masks at the scene, which they said linked the men to previous robberies
