THREE men were picked up in Johor Baru today, as police step up their investigation into a sex video that implicates a minister.

The suspects are aged between 29 and 37.

It is learnt that one of those detained is a politician who heads a state chapter of a political party.

On Sunday, six people were arrested, including former Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, who claimed to be in clips of two men having sex that were first released to politicians and journalists last month via WhatsApp.

Haziq also named Economic Affairs Minister and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali as the other individual in the clips.

Azmin has denied the claim, calling the clips a conspiracy to ruin his career. 

The six nabbed over the weekend were brought to the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court yesterday, and had a six-day remand order issued against them. 

Federal police Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed confirmed today’s arrests.

However, he declined to say if one of the detained is a politician.

“Yes, we picked up two Malays and an Indian in Johor Baru with regard to this video case. They were arrested about 3pm. I cannot disclose their identities,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Haziq has lost his job as principal private secretary to a deputy minister, and was also sacked from PKR.

Haziq and the five others detained on Sunday are set to challenge their remand orders. A hearing has been schedule for tomorrow morning before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, according to their lawyer, Ramesh Sivakumar.

According to the court list, the six applicants are Haziq, S. Moorthy, V. Thirukumar, S. Jeevand, P. Arwin and Noorhasmawi Mohamad Noor. 

The men are being investigated under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for distributing pornography. – July 16, 2019.