WIDOW TOLD NOT TO MAKE STATEMENTS
Investigation reports are official secrets, says CID chief
POLICE advised the widow of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan, killed in a home fire on June 14, not to make any statements about the case as investigations are ongoing.
Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat said it was already classified as a murder case, and he was unsure why Samirah Muzaffar was questioning the handling of the case.
He said police needed to conduct thorough and complete investigations following an initial probe by the Fire-and-Rescue Department.
Fadzil said police would not answer Samirah’s claim that there were discrepancies between the department’s forensics report and the post-mortem examination report.
“As it is now a murder case, all reports (from the initial investigation stage), including the forensics and post-mortem examinations, are official secrets and can only be revealed once the investigations are completed.
“The investigation includes us recording statements from certain individuals, such as the officer who conducted the postmortem examination, and Samirah herself,” he said.
Fadzil said Samirah should not be making statements as she is a part of the investigation as well.
“I advise her not to say anything about the case as she is also being investigated. Let us do our work. In due time, once the investigation has been completed, we will give her a copy of the report,” he said.
On Tuesday, Samirah had hit out at the Fire-and-Rescue Department over the way it had handled the investigation.
She had claimed the family had been kept in the dark since the incident, having received no information whatsoever from the department, despite her having written two letters asking them for details.
“I have been told by the Fireand-Rescue Department that the report cannot be given to me because Nazrin’s death is a high profile case.
“I have again written to the department and appealed for a copy of the report.
“I am not aware of any provision in the law that denies the family of the victim, especially the next of kin, access to documents because of the status of the case.
“However, there have been no less than four statements made to the media by the Fire-and-Rescue Department in relation to the tragedy.
“In its sparse communication with me, the department has, in fact, made claims which are patently untrue, namely that (we) had taken control of the premises, specifically the room where the death occurred, from June 14 to 19.”