KUALA LUMPUR: Police have refuted claims by a foreign tabloid that Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pic) received a call from a phone number registered with a dubious identity just before he flew Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on March 8.
Bukit Aman assistant chief inspector-general of police secretariat Asst Comm Datin Asmawati Ahmad said the foreign tabloid had no exclusive rights to the details of the investigations.
"The Inspector-General of Police has never issued any public statement that categorically place the MH370 investigation under an act of terrorism.
"Please be advised that the Royal Malaysia Police take no responsibility over the dissemination of such information, which originates from unnamed and unverified sources," she said, adding that the news in the tabloid was mere speculation.
ACP Asmawati was referring to a report by British tabloid The Mail that Captain Zaharie received a call from a phone number registered with a dubious identity just before before take-off on March 8.
The report claimed that investigators were taking a closer look at the two-minute call which was made using a prepaid SIM card registered under a woman's name - but with false identification. It also stated that police had traced the number to a shop selling prepaid SIM cards in Kuala Lumpur.
The report alleged that speculation that the plane might have been hijacked by terrorist emerged after Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar classified the case of the missing MH370 as an act of terrorism, which also included hijacking and sabotage.
Related story:
Missing MH370: Pilot received call from mystery woman before take-off, says report
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