Ahmad Sarbaini's death: CCTV recordings tampered with, court hears

(The Star) - The CCTV recordings at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building had been tampered with around the time of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death, the Coroner's court was told Wednesday.

Audio-video analyst ASP Fauziah Che Mat, who is with the police forensic lab in Cheras, told the court that she believed that the "CCTV recordings had been tampered with by someone who was skilled".

In her analysis of three hard drives taken from the MACC building, two containing recordings of inside the building had two interruptions, one of which was a 22-hour gap.

The recordings from DVR1 simply skipped from 2.47pm (on April 5, 2011) to 1.24pm (on April 6, 2011).

Recordings from DVR2, instead, skipped from 2.37pm (on April 5) to 1.36pm (on April 6).

When questioned by DPP Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas, she explained that the recordings continued after Ahmad Sarbaini's death occured.

ASP Fauziah said DVR3, which contained footage from cameras placed outside the building, was working normally.

She added she believed that "interruptions" were made at the MACC building itself.

Another witness, Kuala Lumpur MACC director Mohamad Yusoff Akope, when questioned by lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah instead, told the court that he was informed that the discrepancies in the CCTV recordings had been "human error".

"One of the security guards (Ismail Sedek) had wanted to rewind, but he didn't realise he had turned it off.

"A second security guard (Romizi) turned it on again," he said.

Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs office, was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor of the MACC building on April 6.

He was reported to have gone to the commission's office to meet the investigation officer assigned to corruption cases involving 62 customs officers.

The inquest continues in the afternoon.