The court has fixed July 4-15 for the inquest into the death of Customs senior assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed.

He died under mysterious circumstances at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Kuala Lumpur two months ago.

Magistrate Aizatul Akmar Maharani will preside as coroner. The matter was confirmed today by R Munusamy, the police officer in charge of the KL courts.

NONE It is learnt officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers will be appointed to assist in the inquest.

Ahmad Sarbani, 56, was one of several suspects hauled up by the MACC in a crackdown on alleged graft and under-declaration of items within the Customs Department.

Ahmad Sarbani had gone to the MACC KL headquarters in Jalan Peel on April 6 to apparently retract a statement he had given earlier.

He died after falling from the third floor of the building, similar to the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Ahmad Sarbani’s friends had suspected foul play leading to the senior assistant director’s death as the officer was a well-liked person who was scheduled to perform the haj this year, and the fact he had told some of his colleagues that he would retract the statement which he had given earlier.

The senior assistant director died of severe head injuries following the fall. His family had already appointed lawyers to oversee the case.

Teoh was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth floor corridor of  Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, after  overnight interrogation at the MACC office on the 14th floor.

The political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, he had been called in as a witness into its investigation into alleged misappropriation of state funds.

No evidence of wrongdoing has been established against Ean Yong to date. A royal commission of inquiry had conducted its investigations into the cause of Teoh’s death and to improve the MACC’s investigations into people hauled in by the anti graft commission.

Ahmad Sarbani’s death occurred in the middle of the proceedings of Teoh’s RCI, leading to early speculation the RCI would also include investigations into the senior assistant director’s mysterious death.

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