INSIDE
No. 5233 PP 2644/12/2011 (025832)
www.sun2surf.com
30 SENFORDELIVERY TOYOURDOORSTEP. CALL 03-77852731
30 SENFORDELIVERY TOYOURDOORSTEP. CALL 03-77852731
TELLING IT AS IT IS
ON
THURSDAY
APRIL 7, 2011
300,000
COPIESDAILY
MEMBER
X
Rightmove
ActressYeoYann
Yannhas carveda
name for herself
in the local
showbiz industry
Glowpage19
MACCHq
BY CHARLES RAMENDRAN
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
K
UALA LUMPUR:
A
Selangor Customs
assistant directorunder
investigation for graft
was found dead at the
Ma l a y s i a n An t i -
Corruption Commission (MACC)
Kuala Lumpur headquarters
yesterdaymorning.
Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56,
was found with head injuries on an
open badminton court on the first
floor of the newly-built building on
Jalan Cochrane, Cheras, about
10.15am. He was believed to have
fallen from the third floor of the
four- storey building.
News of Ahmad’s death came in
the midst of a royal commission of
inquiry into the death of political
aide Teoh Beng Hock who was
found dead at the former Selangor
MACC headquarters in Shah Alam
in 2009. The circumstances of
Teoh’s death, also from a fall while
being questioned by MACC, are
being probed for a second time
following dissatisfaction with an
openverdict deliveredbyacoroner’s
inquiry.
Colleagues of Ahmad gathered at
the Hospital Universiti Putra
Malaysiawhere his familywaited to
claim his body. In Port Klang, 80
freight forwarders protested at the
Customs office and hurled abuse at
theMACC
(report page 6)
.
MACC investigations director
Datuk Mustafar Ali told a press
conference yesterday that Ahmad
was arrested on April 1 at his office
at Northport, Port Klang, to help in
the graft probe stemming from a
crackdown on the Cus toms
Department. He said Ahmad was
freed on bail on April 2 and had not
been called up by the investigating
officer (IO).
However, Ahmad went on a
motorcycle onhis own accord to the
MACC headquarters about 8.30am
yesterday and requested to see the
IO. Mustafar said the IO was in a
meeting and Ahmad waited for an
hour at the lobbyuntil anofficer took
him to the IO’s office on an upper
floor. He said the officer was with
Ahmad at the office but stepped out
for several minutes, leaving him
alone.
“When the officer returned, he
found Ahmad missing. He searched
the place before spotting a body on
the first floor balcony.
“We will leave this case to be
probed by the pol ice , ” said
Mustafar who did not answer
reporters’ questions.
City police chief DCP Datuk
Zulkifli Abdullah said the case was
classified as sudden death. “Mymen
were despatched to the scene upon
receiving a call from MACC that
someonehad jumped fromthebuild-
ing,” he said. Police learnt from
hospital paramedics who attended
to Ahmad that he was dead.
“He was found sprawled face
downandhadhead injuries,” he said.
Zulkifli said a task force ledbyKuala
Lumpur CID chief SAC Datuk Ku
ChinWahwill investigate the case.
A police forensics scoured the
scene for clues for five hours.
About 200 friends, colleagues and
family members of Ahmad were at
theHUKMmortuary. Several groups
>Senior customs officer held for graft founddead at agency’sKL office
arrived in buses and some came
fromas far as Perlis and Penang.
Colleagues expressed regret and
di sbel ief over the incident .
Several described Ahmad as “an
honest, jovial, simple, helpful and
religious” person. “He was his
normal self after being released by
theMACC and had a game of tennis
last night (Tuesday),” said one.
Others said that Ahmad, who
lived at customs quarters in Kelana
Jaya, told them theMACChad sum-
moned him to the office yesterday.
“This is shocking news none of us
can believe. He was a simple man
who lived frugally,” said a colleague
who declined to be named.
deathfall
Mustafar
gave a
statement
to reporters
at theMACC
head-
quarters
yesterday,
but refused
to answer
their
questions.
SAIFUL HIZAM
MANSOR/THESUN