Head of Crime division of the Brickfields police station DSP Jude Ignatius Pereira said this at the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) public inquiry into the arrest and detention of Kuala Lumpur legal aid center lawyers.

He said after the police had arrested a group of 14 people who did not heed several warnings to disperse, the five lawyers approached him and claimed they represented those arrested.

"They were however unable to state any names and just said they represented the whole group," he said when testifying before a three member Suhakam panel made up of commissioners Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh, Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria.

Asked by Yeoh if lawyers usually carry identification on them, Andrew Khoo, who was representing the Bar Council in the inquiry, said they would normally use their calling cards to identify themselves.

Pereira said the five lawyers and a journalist were the second wave of people arrested that night. A total 20 people were arrested, including six earlier that night.

When Denison asked what the normal procedure was when lawyers meet their clients in the police station, Pereira said: "Usually when a lawyer comes to see the client in the police station they should know who their client is."

We were not able to positively identify them as lawyers, he said, adding that they did not give him their card and neither did he ask for it.

Asked if he recognised anyone in the crowd as a lawyer, he said yes, a woman whom he identified as Latheefa Koya.

Earlier Pereira had testified that he had been recalled to work that night and upon arrival at the police station found a group of about 20 to 30 people gathered in front of the police station all dressed in black, some of them were carrying candles. He said after several

warnings by the district police chief were ignored, the police moved in and arrested 14 people.

"The group of 14 were unruly, difficult to control and affected their work," he added.

Asked what he meant by "unruly and affected their work" Pereira explained that the group was difficult to control, as they were shouting and demanding to see their lawyers.

He also said they refused to give their identity cards for the police to record their details.

"A woman called Ginie seemed to be the leader of the 14 and was instigating the rest of them so she had to be separated and taken to another room where she continued to scream," he said, adding that "she was hysterical, perhaps to seek attention."

Pereira also claimed that those arrested shouted "police pukul" (police beating) each time the officers attempted to move them, thus provoking the crowd outside who could hear their shouts.

"Of course we can use force, but we did not want to, to prevent reports and accusations against the police," he said when asked why the police could not control those arrest.

Pereira also said that the police invoked Section 23 and 28 of the Criminal Procedure Code as they wanted to resolve the matter without delay and to ensure that there was no disruption to the safety of the public outside the station and also that of the police officers on duty.

On May 7, 2009 five members of the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre Kuala Lumpur (KL LAC) who had requested access to their clients who had been arrested for holding a candlelight vigil over the arrest of political scientist Wong Chin Huat were themselves arrested.

The five - KL LAC chairperson Ravinder Singh Dalliwal, secretary Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and lawyers Murnie Hidayah Anuar, Puspawati Rosman and Syuhaini Safwan - were relased at 3pm the following day.

The Bar Council condemmed the actions and labeled it as wrongful arrest, detention and interrogation and submitted a memorandum to Suhakam calling for a public inquiry into the incident. The inquiry continues on Sunday at 9.30am.