48% drop in number of deaths in police custody, MPs told

 

Six deaths in custody cases have been referred to the Coroner’s Court with four in the midst of inquest proceedings and two pending.

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of deaths in police custody dropped by 48% to 24 cases last year, compared to 46 in the previous year, after the Criminal Investigation Unit for Deaths in Custody was established, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Deputy home minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the unit found two cases with criminal elements. One involved a case in Taiping, Perak, which is the subject of a trial, while the other case in Kelantan is still being investigated.

Six cases have been referred to the Coroner’s Court with inquest proceedings being held on four of them, while the other two are still pending.

He said the investigation unit would present its findings, reports of investigations and developments of each custody death in meetings with Suhakam (the human rights commission) and the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission which are held every three months.

“These meetings are aimed at implementing a system of checks and balances functions for the investigation of deaths of individuals in police custody and to improve the management of police detainees.”

Shamsul was briefing Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) during the Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat today on steps taken by the home ministry in managing cases of death in police custody.

The deputy minister said that through the establishment of USJKT, various improvements to the standard operating procedures were implemented, including lock-up inspections, closed circuit television (CCTV) monitoring of lock-ups and so forth. - FMT