Lawyer calls for dedicated coroner’s court to address custodial deaths

 

Lawyer M Visvanathan said transparent investigations were essential for building public confidence in the handling of custodial death cases. (File pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

A lawyer has urged the government to set up a dedicated coroner’s court to investigate custodial deaths.

M Visvanathan, who was involved in the 2009 custodial death case of R Gunasegaran at the Sentul police station, said the current courts handling these cases were also handling other matters.

We need a specialised court set up under a Coroner’s (Court) Act to investigate this kind of deaths,

 he said in his speech at a remembrance event for custodial death victims here this evening.

These deaths must be investigated transparently to give confidence to the people."

Visvanathan’s remarks echoed those of Ng Yap Hwa, chairman of the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement, who also spoke at the event.

There are many cases, but no investigations,

 Ng claimed.

He also reiterated their demands from the three-day 96km 

walk for justice

 and affirmed his solidarity with all custodial death victims.

In 2009, Beng Hock, the former aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after he had arrived for questioning on the 14th floor of the Selangor MACC headquarters.

A coroner’s inquest in 2011 delivered an open verdict. His family subsequently filed an appeal against the findings.

Three years later, the Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict and ruled that Beng Hock’s death was caused by multiple injuries as a result of unlawful acts by unknown persons.

Visvanathan also slammed home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who earlier this month told the Dewan Rakyat that the custodial deaths reported at immigration and police detention centres were not due to suicide or assault but linked to poor health.

He does not even know the law. Only a coroner can give the reason why somebody died,

 he said, adding that it was not Saifuddin’s job to make such claims.

Visvanathan said Saifuddin’s remarks reflected a broader lack of legal understanding among ministers, describing it as a 

sad state of affairs

 in today’s governance.

I hope the media carries this and informs the minister where he has gone wrong,

 he added. - FMT