LAWYER and activist Siti Kasim has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping her own client and obstructing a government servant from carrying out his duties.

Selangor CID chief assistant commissioner Fadzil Ahmat confirmed Siti and her client Anis Izatty Ruslan were both arrested and taken to the Kajang police headquarters yesterday night.

It is learnt Siti will be taken to the Semenyih lockup for remand later today.

A video clip shared on Facebook by Suri Kempe, the programme manager at Muslim rights group Musawah, showed a police officer informing Siti she was under arrest for the abduction of Anis from a hospital, where she was being treated, under Section 186 of the Penal Code.

In the video, Siti tells another person Anis’ mother had lodged a police report claiming her daughter was mentally unstable and had been abducted by Siti from hospital.

“The police are arresting me because they are following procedure. They know about this story that Anis was abused by her mother and I was trying to save the girl. The girl willingly followed me,” Siti said to the friend.

Anis is seen in the same video saying she was not kidnapped “She did not kidnap me. It is a lie,” Anis said.

Siti, who appeared upset, said she will sue the police for damaging her house.

She said police acted excessively as they could have called her and asked her to bring Anis to the police station for questioning.

Two women who said they were Anis’ aunts also appear in the video, where they thank Siti for helping to rescue Anis from her mother.

Meanwhile, Fadzil said police were investigating the case’s many aspects, in response to questions on the kidnapping allegation. He declined to further comment. – June 24, 2018.