Thorough investigation on policeman found dead on road

BALIK PULAU: Penang police have vowed that they would leave no stone unturned in the incident where a Special Branch policeman was found dead in front of a hotel in Pulau Tikus at George Town.

State police chief Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan said he had instructed the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as well as the disciplinary department to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the incident.

“We take this thing seriously and I have ordered a thorough investigation on several aspects to determine why the officer was there and who had instructed him to be there,” he told reporters here yesterday.

On Monday, the police were alerted on the incident by a hotel’s employee at 4.45am, after a body of a man was found lying on the road which was later identified as 47-yearold police corporal Sofian Shahari, from the Northeast District Police Headquarters’ Special Branch division.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was believed to have fallen from the hotel’s building after attending the birthday celebration of his friend, who is also a policeman attached to the Penang Police Contingent.

However, Thaiveegan had urged the public not to speculate on the matter which could lead to misinterpretation while investigation was still on-going.

He said police were also recording statement from the witnesses at the scene while waiting for the port-mortem report.

“We will inform the public on the investigation results once it is completed soon,” he said.