Penang police have launched an investigation into their own personnel after a Special Branch officer died under mysterious circumstances earlier this week.
Sofian Shahari fell from a hotel on Pulau Tikus, with five other officers present, as the group attended a special function. Authorities have detained the other men and will be recording their statement “to ensure there was no conflicting information and ensure they were speaking the truth,” said the state police chief, A. Thaiveegan.
Speaking at a talk at Universiti Sains Malaysia this morning, he added that investigators will get “right to the bottom, to seek justice for the dead policeman.”
Initial investigations into the incident have indicated that drug urine tests taken of the group of five present turned up positive, but they will only confirm this after more thorough analysis from the police Chemistry Department.
Hotel staff found the 19-year police veteran lying face down in the hotel car park, which was located at the front of the building at 4:45am Monday. Previously, the men had all been at a karaoke room celebrating another officer’s birthday. Subsequent investigations turned up the victim’s bag and left slipper in front of a dental clinic that was in the same building as where the group had been doing karaoke. The victim’s badge, wallet and phone have not been found.
