Statements of 15 people taken over death of cop who fell from hotel

GEORGE TOWN: The police have recorded statements from 15 people, including five policemen, to assist investigation over the case of a Special Branch policeman who fell from a hotel in Pulau Tikus here last Monday (Dec 17).

Penang police chief Datuk Seri A.Thaiveegan said he expected more people to be called to assist the police investigation into the death of Corporal Sofian Shahari, 47, a special branch policeman at the Northeast District headquarters.

“We expect to complete the investigation paper next week and it will then be handed over to the Deputy Public Prosecutors’ Office for further action,” he told reporters after a meeting with the Japanese Consul General in Penang, Shinichiro Kanoya, at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

On the five policemen, who are in their 40s and 50s, who were detained to facilitate investigation of the case, Thaiveegan said they tested positive for drug and had been transferred to the Central Lockup Division.

In the incident at about 4.45am last Monday, Sofian’s body was found by a hotel employee lying face down in the car park in front of the hotel in Pulai Tikus.

Before the incident, Sofian, who had been with the police force for 19 years, is believed to be at a karaoke centre there to celebrate the birthday of a colleague from the Penang police contingent.

The death of the policeman had been a mystery because the police conducting investigations at the location found a bag and the left slipper of the victim on the second floor in front of a dental clinic in the karaoke centre building.

Apart from that, inspection at the same five- storey building, police found a piece of curtain on the five- foot way of the karaoke centre while the wallet, authority card and mobile phone of the victim were missing. — Bernama