IPOH: Police are prepared to reopen the investigation into the death of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam, six years ago, under Section 302 of the Penal Code as murder.
Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris said they, however, must wait for directives from the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) before any follow-up action can be taken to reopen the investigation.
Azizi said police were aware of the memorandum submitted by Soosaimanicckam's family together with 29 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) requesting the police to reopen the case.
"We will conduct the investigation, but we must wait for instructions from the DPP first. The case has already been referred to the High Court, and we are aware that the memorandum has been submitted. We will review our investigation paper once we receive instructions from the DPP.
"If we receive the DPP's directive, we will reopen the investigation papers and reclassify the case under the appropriate section, which is Section 302 of the Penal Code," he told reporters, during a press conference at the Perak contingent police headquarters here today.
Azizi was asked to comment on a media report yesterday regarding the demand made through a memorandum submitted by 29 NGOs, led by Lawyers For Liberty (LFL), along with the deceased's family members at Bukit Aman.
The demand was reported to have been handed over to officers at Bukit Aman, following the Ipoh High Court decision on July 29, which classified the officer's death during cadet training in Lumut on May 19, 2018, as homicide.
According to the report, a police report was filed on behalf of the deceased's family at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters in Selangor regarding the court's decision. However, as of yesterday (Aug 8), there had been no response from the police.
So far the family said no one from the police had contacted the family to inform them whether police would be reopening the case as murder investigation, in accordance with the Ipoh High Court's decision.
Earlier, Ipoh High Court Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed reportedly said the cause of death was pulmonary edema caused by leptospirosis. The judge said Soosaimanicckam's death was the direct result of the actions of the RMN officers responsible for the cadet training, who denied medical treatment for Soosaimanicckam.
Soosaimanicckam passed away at the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital, Lumut, Perak, at the age of 27 while undergoing training at KD Sultan Idris, Lumut, on May 19, 2018.