The Attorney-General’s Chambers has been lambasted for failing to fix a date to meet with the Penang Taskforce on Custodial Deaths, despite saying that it has launched investigations into six of such cases.

Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who heads the taskforce, said Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail has failed to act on the cases despite the taskforce having sent a letter to his office in June last year, seeking an urgent meeting on custodial deaths.

In August last year, the head of the Prosecution Department in the AG's Chambers, Abdul Wahab Mohamed, replied saying that inquests on the deaths would be carried out,  as provided for under Section 339 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

However, Ramasamy said, no inquest has been carried out into the six cases and the taskforce is still waiting for a date to meet with the AG's Chambers.

The six who died in custody in Penang are A. Punniyathan, 40, Ramasamy Nagu, 50, Kamarulnizam Ismail, 39, Murugan Muniandy, 37, Rahmat Md Noor, 56, and Aginraj Sunmarkkan Naidu, 29.

“Is there a fear in the AG or the police? Are they scared to charge their own kind in case they have to open up many other similar cases?” Ramasamy ( right ) asked at a press conference yesterday.

He pointed out that the AG has even failed to act in two cases of death in custody - P Chandra in Dang Wangi (Kuala Lumpur) and P Karuna Nitthi in Seremban (Negri Sembilan) - where the coroner has found that the police had acted unlawfully and caused the death of victims.

"Is the AG afraid to open Pandora’s Box? Perhaps it will reveal much more of the police involvement in these cases," he said.

Ramasamy - who is also Prai assemblyperson - said the taskforce will write to the AG again to request for a meeting.

Other state executive members in the taskforce are Jagdeep Singh Deo and Dr Afif Bahardin.

Jagdeep recalled that in the case of Karuna Nitthi in Seremban, the coronor had even questioned the credibility of the pathologist, who diagnosed the cause of death as fatty liver despite the body of Karuna Nitthi having 49 slash marks.

Jagdeep ( right ), who is also Dato Keramat assemblyperson, said the pathologist has been referred to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

He said there are provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to allow the authorities to initiate action against police officers suspected of committing crime.

He referred to section 338 of the CPC, which states that after evidence has been forwarded to the public prosecutor, he or she must act on those findings by referring criminal charges to those implicated.

Jagdeep urged that action be taken by the public prosecutors so that there would be some closure for the families of those who have died in police custody.