The suspect who died under MACC custody yesterday succumbed to a heart attack, a post-mortem has shown.
According to a source, there were no external injuries found on the 68-year-old’s body when the autopsy was conducted.
The police have now classified the case as sudden death.
When met at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, family and friends of the deceased were too distraught to speak to the media.
It was reported that the suspect was detained in connection to a money laundering case linked to mineral mining activities in Pahang and had appeared ill while being interrogated at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya yesterday.
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki later confirmed that the suspect, who was in his 60s, died while receiving treatment at Putrajaya Hospital.
Azam further pledged to cooperate with the police on the matter.
It is understood that the other two suspects who were arrested alongside the victim in connection with the case were a mining operator and a civil servant.
Azam has been accused of interfering with an ongoing police investigation over his attempt earlier today to explain the death of a man in MACC’s custody.
Azam had claimed the man was unwell and had allegedly died at the hospital.
Zaid Malek, a director of Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), in a statement said Azam had no business to rush into conclusions or explain the cause of death of the victim as the police investigation has just begun.
“It is for the police to investigate and announce findings or refer the matter to the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC),” Zaid said.
“No conclusions can be made at this point as to whether or not there was foul play in this death, as Azam has done in his statement.”
Zaid reminded Azam that his own officers were under investigation over this death in custody.
He added the death occurred at the very headquarters where Azam has his own office.
“Hence, his explanations are of no value as Azam is an interested party. This should have been obvious to the Chief Commissioner who should have made no other comment except to say that the matter is under police investigation.
“Public statements of this nature on the ongoing police probe have the potential to influence or interfere with such a probe,” Zaid said.
LFL at the same time is also urging the inspector-general of police to form a special investigation unit to investigate this matter.
“In light of the shocking deaths of Teoh Beng Hock in 2009 and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed in 2011 whilst in MACC custody, the police must take this matter very seriously and prioritise the investigation as a matter of grave public interest.
“The investigation must be transparent, impartial and expeditious. Firm action under the law must be taken if any MACC personnel are found to be in any way culpable in this death,” Zaid said.