Lawyers dispute police findings on Cheras custodial death

Lawyers acting for the family of the late Noorizwan Zulkefly, who died under police detention, have disputed Bukit Aman’s findings that the deceased did not suffer any internal injury.

Rania Aljunied, a Lawyers for Liberty director, and Dina Zamri said this contradicted the findings of an autopsy conducted by a Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HUKM) pathologist.

They said the autopsy found that Noorizwan had suffered “generalised bleeding in the brain”, which can cause death, as well as bleeding in the intestines.

“There are autopsy photographs clearly showing these injuries. In the face of this evidence, how can Bukit Aman issue a public statement claiming that there were only external injuries, and no internal injuries?” they said in a statement.

The lawyers also questioned the federal police’s statement that the cause of death was “pending laboratory analysis”, when the pathologist had already determined that the 42-year-old died from blunt trauma to the head.

“These blunt trauma findings cannot be changed by the lab analysis of blood and other samples that are pending.

“Why then is Bukit Aman dragging its feet and insinuating to the public that the cause of death is still uncertain? This is entirely unacceptable to the family.”

They also questioned why the police are still classifying the case as sudden death rather than a murder, given the evidence that has surfaced.

Rania and Dina urged Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to step in and order the case to be probed as a murder, and for a special team in Bukit Aman to take over the probe.

They also called for the policemen suspected to have been involved in Noorizwan’s death to be suspended and detained pending investigations.

Noorizwan was arrested on Sept 19 in connection with an investigation into drug possession, theft, and a break-in, and held at the Cheras police headquarters.

He was rushed to HUKM on Sept 30 and pronounced dead the following day.

Yesterday, Bukit Aman said Noorizwan suffered several external injuries but did not suffer any internal bleeding. It also said the cause of death is pending laboratory analysis.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered the inspector-general of police to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into Noorizwan’s death.

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