‘Customs officer was not threatened over GST case’

KUALA LUMPUR: Police dismissed claims that a Customs senior officer, whose house was burnt in Putrajaya recently, was previously threatened over a Goods and Services Tax (GST) case.

City Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Rusdi Mohd Isa said the report on receiving threats was lodged by another Customs officer who was not related to the arson.

“Police have launched investigations based on police reports lodged by the two individuals.

“One report was opened under Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation. The other was opened under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance.”

He said Nor Azman Mat Jini, whose house at Precint 11 was set ablaze on Tuesday, had lodged a report on receiving threats, but that was in 2013 when he was an enforcement officer.

Nor Azman and his family were asleep when the fire broke out at 3.30am on Tuesday.

They escaped through the back door after being alerted by their neighbour.

Four cars belonging to the family were razed.

Nor Azman was attached to the GST division and was due to retire in April.

Police said they had found a hammer and a lighter in the vicinity of the house, which were believed to have been used to set the house on fire.

Meanwhile, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said it was unlikely that the officer’s current post in the GST division had triggered the attack.

“The officer just joined the GST division.

“Before that, he was actively involved in operations to take down smuggling syndicates worth millions of ringgit,” he said at the World Customs Day celebration yesterday.

Johari said police should be allowed to conduct their investigations into the case.

“Since it is a police case, I do not want to speculate about it.”

He also urged Customs officers and staff to lodge police reports immediately upon receiving threats, before anything bad happens.