Saturday, May 14, 2022

Provide updates on inquests into custodial deaths, coroners urged(FMT) - Name Coroner responsible for any death in police custody, so public can give coroner evidence/info...???

If the public is speedily made aware of the NAME of the Coroner responsible to look into a particular dead in police custody, then person/s with information and evidence can easily hand it over to the Coroner. 

For a death in POLICE custody, the police may be criminally liable for the death - so, those with information/evidence may not be wanting to hand over information/evidence to the police - they will be more willing to do so to the INDEPENDENT Coroner responsible - today a Sessions Court Judge...

See earlier post, and full media statement -

16th Death In Police Custody in 2022, and disclosure of Coroner’s investigation and status of reform implementation to reduce deaths, and facilitate investigation needed..(MADPET)

 

Provide updates on inquests into custodial deaths, coroners urged

There is still a disturbing silence on the part of the coroners in Malaysia regarding the status of their inquiries into the deaths in custody, says rights group Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture.

PETALING JAYA: A rights group has urged coroners to provide updates on inquiries done on custodial deaths in the country.

Charles Hector of Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) urged the coroners to do so in the wake of the 16th custodial death that was reported on May 8.

“There is still a disturbing silence on the part of the coroners in Malaysia regarding the status of their inquiries into these deaths in custody, and media reports have mostly been about police investigation and findings,” said Hector in a statement today.

“The coroners must announce what is happening on their inquiries into the last 15 custodial deaths in Malaysia. What are the coroners’ findings? Will there be inquests?”



Hector suggested that the names of the coroners conducting the inquests be made public so that members of the public could reach out directly to them for relevant information on any custodial deaths.

He also suggested that the home ministry provide updates on the plan to instal body cameras on police personnel, which would help ensure documentary evidence right from the point of arrest.

Last year, home minister Hamzah Zainudin said in a parliamentary reply to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng that the ministry was finalising the specifications of bodycams it planned to purchase for the police through the ePerolehan (procurement) system.

He said 2,040 cameras were slated to be purchased and distributed to 85 locations, including police stations, district and state police headquarters as well as Bukit Aman as part of the 12th Malaysia Plan.

On May 8, a 48-year-old man died in a lock-up at the Seri Alam police station in Masai, Johor, becoming the 16th custodial death this year.

Today, Bukit Aman integrity and standards compliance department director Azri Ahmad said the detainee died due to Covid-19-induced pneumonia. - FMT, 10/5/2022

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