Sarbaini’s death: No foul play

Police confirm "no foul play" in the death of Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, and will be submitting a suggest to the magistrate for an inquest to be held

PETALING JAYA: Police today said that they have found no foul play in the death of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, paving the way for an inquest to be held on the cause of the Selangor Customs assistant director’s death.

Confirming this today, Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC II Ku Chin Wah said: “We did not discover foul play. Will present our investigations in open court. It is then up to the magistrate and the public to judge.”

Ku, who headed the special task force investigating the case, said that the Attorney-General’s Chambers has agreed to allow the police to suggest to the magistrate to hold an inquest.

“The A-G has agreed that we pass the investigation papers to the magistrate,” he said in a SMS reply to FMT’s queries.

On whether police took into account a report by Sarbaini’s wife, Maziah Manap, Ku said that it was also included in their investigation papers.

On May 2, Maziah had lodged the report which implied that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was involved in her husband’s death.

On April 6, Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, was found sprawled on the first floor of the badminton court at the Federal Territory MACC building in Jalan Cochrane, Cheras.

Ahmad Sarbaini, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs Department, was among the 62 officers detained on April 1 in a massive nationwide MACC probe over graft allegations of a “Customs syndicate” laundering billions through tax evasion.

He was later released on bail but was reported to have returned to the office on April 6 to change a statement he made.

Severe head injuries

MACC had said that an officer had left Ahmad Sarbaini alone in a third-floor room and had returned to find him missing.

Ahmad Sarbaini’s family and friends have said it was impossible that he had committed suicide or have taken any bribe.

Following his death, police formed a special task force to investigate. More than 44 witnesses gave statements in the police probe. A professional stuntman was even called to help a pathologist analyse how Ahmad Sarbaini fell.

Initial post-mortem results confirmed the cause of death to be severe head injuries consistent with a fall. Police had classified the case as sudden death.

Police investigation papers were handed over to the Attorney-General’s Chambers on April 22 but were returned on April 26.

MACC has since suspended two of its officers and conducted an internal probe.

Ahmad Sarbaini’s death came just two years after the death of former journalist and political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Teoh, 30, was found dead on the fifth floor landing of the MACC’s Selangor headquarters, then in Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam. He was a witness over an alleged misuse of state funds.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had urged the public not to compare the two deaths, saying that they were different.

Najib also said that an inquest was only possible after the police have completed their investigations.