Assistant warden may face reduced charge

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will consider a reduced charge against a tahfiz school’s assistant warden for allegedly causing the death of a student in Johor in April.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said this followed the latest findings from student Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi’s postmortem report, which stated that he had died of leptospirosis.

“We will complete the investigations with this update and refer to the deputy public prosecutor, probably with a suggestion to reduce the charge to causing hurt or assault,” he said after attending the federal police Special Branch’s Hari Raya open house in Bukit Aman here yesterday.

The report, released on Monday, stated that Thaqif, 11, died of leptospirosis complicated by skin necrosis and a micro-blood congealing condition, known as microthrombi, which affected his blood vessels, instead of trauma or injury he had sustained from a beating, allegedly carried out by the 29-year-old assistant warden.

Police had initially investigated the case for murder. Noor Rashid said, following the post-mortem report, police could not charge the assistant warden with murder. He has been released on court bond due to lack of evidence.

Noor Rashid said police would ensure that the case was brought to court and they would request for an inquest to be held.