At a press conference today, Hamzah insisted he had not done anything wrong when talking about promotions and the change of roles in the force.

However, he said the act of taping other people’s conversations is an offence.

“There are people whose audio recordings have been exposed but they still deny that it is them. I admit (that it is me),” he said.

“The one who’s in the wrong is the person who taped my conversation.”

It is understood that Hamzah was referring to another leaked audio recording, purportedly between PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, after the Umno annual general assembly in March. Both Anwar and Zahid denied they were the ones in the recording.

Asked if he would lodge a police report against the leaked recording, Hamzah said it was not necessary as he did not commit an offence.

He also said the conversation was not new, adding that it took place “some time last year”.

The recording, which was posted on several blogs, featured a man discussing giving a Perakian a promotion, plausibly for a police role.

The man, now confirmed to be Hamzah, was also heard saying that another person should no longer decide on the appointment of state police chiefs but could only nominate five names.

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