Reports have emerged that two suspects have been arrested to facilitate in on-going investigations into the June 14 death of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd CEO Nazrin Hassan. Those two individuals are his wife, Samirah Muzaffar, and her ex-husband.
Police suspect that what was initially believed to be an accidental and tragic death, could in fact be murder.
Both were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and The Star reports that the male suspect was picked up first, with Ms Muzaffar being arrested an hour later. They will be in police remand for seven days.
Found dead after being trapped in a fire in an upstairs room of his Mutiara Damansara house, Nazrin’s widely mourned death had initially been reported as due to the blunt-force trauma and subsequent fire caused by an exploding mobile phone, with even his former company issuing a statement confirming as much.
However, in August Selangor Fire and Rescue issued a statement refuting such claims, clarifying that at no time did they conclude, or suggest this in their investigations. They added that the suggestion of a phone causing his death had come from the victim’s family.
Authorities went on to say that lab results taken from the scene of the crime suggest that foul play was at hand, after traces of petrol were found in various spots of the bedroom where Nazrin was found.
Speaking to Malay Mail, an inside source revealed that petrol was found on the victim’s head, along the bed-frame, the mattress, as well as his mobile phone. Police then began to investigate the case as murder.
Shortly after police spoke new developments in the case, Samirah Muzaffar released a lengthy statement to the media, contradicting the claims that were made as inconsistent with the findings of her husband’s post-mortem, and also alleging that investigators largely kept her in the dark.
Outlining that forensic doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital confirmed that Nazrin sustained severe, blunt injuries to his head, she wrote that several smaller ones across his face, neck, chest, left shoulder, and to the back of his left hand were also logged – all of which were consistent with the effects of shrapnel injuries (alluding to original claims that he had died due to an exploding mobile phone).
The detailed report went on to conclude that her husband died from the severity of his injuries. There are no mentions of petrol traces found on his head, nor was he on any medication at the time – two claims that have been floated since his death.
Saying that she and her family have been cooperative with officials, she wrote that they had not been forthcoming with updates, nor had they returned certain personal belongings that were missing after the incident.
Concluding that her husband lived a life of integrity and transparency, she asks that the investigations into his death be conducted in consistency with these principles.
Police have yet to elaborate on any new evidence in the case that would have lead to the arrest of the two suspects. We’ll keep you posted.
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