Family demands RCI, new probe into Sarbaini’s death

By Melissa Chi
July 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, July 23 — Dissatisfied with the ongoing inquest into the death Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, the Customs officer’s family today again demanded for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into his untimely demise during a graft investigation.

The family previously asked for an RCI to be convened immediately, but later relented to the inquest after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk VK Liew said that it was the first choice, and that there was a “procedure” which needed to be followed.

Today, Sarbaini’s widow Maziah Manap also asked for a fresh investigation over a remark made by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Abdul Ghani Ali about those responsible for her husband’s death on April 6.

“Until now the police did not record my statement regarding Encik Ghani’s remark, ‘it wasn’t me, it was my people’, [made] to me when I expressed dissatisfaction of my husband’s death,” she said in the report lodged at the Kelana Jaya police station hear her house.

Abdul Ghani is a MACC investigating officer and the 18th witness to be called in the ongoing inquest into Ahmad Sarbaini’s death.

He had defended his statement and told the coroner’s court that he meant Ahmad Sarbaini had went to see his officers, not him personally, on the day of his death.

Ahmad Sarbaini, the Selangor Customs assistant director, was found dead on April 6 after he was believed to have fallen from the pantry on the third floor of the MACC Kuala Lumpur office on Jalan Cochrane here and landed on a badminton court on the first floor.

The most recent outcome from the inquest was a forensic investigator’s conclusion that Ahmad Sarbaini did not jump to his death nor was he pushed from the KL anti-graft office.

“I am very confident that my husband did not commit suicide but there is foul play in his death based on RPK’s blog and Encik Ghani’s statement,” Maziah stated in her report today.

“RPK” are the initials of Raja Petra Kamarudin, the blogger who alleged on the Malaysia Today website that Ahmad Sarbaini accidentally fell to his death after being forced onto the ledge by a senior MACC investigator.

He further claimed that the MACC investigator convened a “conference” with his colleagues to “brainstorm and concoct the most plausible story” to protect their careers.

Up till today, Raja Petra has written a nine-part series on Malaysia Today alleging that Ahmad Sarbaini death was caused by the anti-graft body’s officers.

“I demand the police to investigate again my husband’s case because Raja Petra’s articles are parallel with (what was said in the coroner’s court),” she told reporters.

Mokhtar Mansor, 53, cousin-in-law to Ahmad Sarbaini, and a former senior deputy public prosecutor, told reporters that the family’s hopes were getting dimmer especially since the findings of the Teoh Beng Hock RCI were made public.

“RCI is much better because the officers will not be under the purview or under the influence of the Attorney General, hopefully we have that.

“At least for Teoh Beng Hock, to some extent, he was given that benefit,” he said.

When asked if the family would want to continue with the inquest, he said they “still believe in the government, believe in the system”, so they will go on with it.

Also present today was Ghazali Mohd Ramli, Maziah’s brother-in-law, who is also the family lawyer, Awtar Singh’s firm partner, as well as Ahmad Sarbaini’s siblings.