KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: The police have hit out at a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that allegedly kept two Penan women for nine days here before allowing police to record their statements on being raped.

Criminal Investigations Department (CID) director Commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin said the two were here without their family's knowledge.

He said in a statement that the issue had been "generally distorted and blown out of proportion by politicians and NGOs."

Comm Bakri said the task force, set up to investigate the alleged rape of Penan women by loggers, had visited nine settlements and interviewed many witnesses, but had yet to find any evidence indicating so.

He urged those with information, including activists Martin Bujang and Colin Nicholas, believed to be from the Switzerland-based NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), which first highlighted the issue, to come forward and assist police.

When contacted, Nicholas denied having any connection with BMF.

"I am the coordinator for the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns and have no part in BMF.

"While we respect the work of BMF, our sources of information are the Penan themselves and those who work with them."

He said he had returned from Japan yesterday when he received an sms from a "DSP Zainon" requesting him to give a statement.

Saying the police had not contacted him previously, he said he had agreed to meet DSP Zainon on Friday.