Cops release photofit of slain Palestinian lecturer's alleged assassins

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have released photo-fits of the suspects behind the shooting of Palestinian lecturer Dr Fadi Albatsh here last Saturday.

The pictures have also been released to authorities at all the country's exit points.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said police compiled the photo-fits based on eyewitness descriptions.

“We have experts who compiled the photo-fits based on eyewitnesses but we cannot reveal much about those who spoke to us,” he told reporters at a rank-pinning ceremony at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here on Monday.

Mohamad Fuzi said the two suspects are believed to be either of European or Middle Eastern descent.

“The suspects are well-built and approximately 180cm tall with fair complexions,” he said, adding that it was uncertain if they were still in the country.

He added that the suspects were believed to be riding BMW GS and Kawasaki Versys motorcycles.

“We also retrieved 14 bullets slugs from the body of the victim following a post-mortem.

“We have sent these slugs to our weapons experts here for further analysis,” he said.

Mohamad Fuzi declined to divulge further details on the case as it was still under investigation, but revealed there had been no threat made against the victim's family.

He added that the might take a statement from the victim's brother Dr Rami Albatsh, who arrived in Malaysia earlier Monday, if necessary.

He also urged anyone who noticed anything between 5am and 7am on Saturday to come forward.

Based on CCTV footage, police have ruled out that Dr Fadi was a victim of a random shooting as other people had walked past the two assailants without being attacked.

The severity of the attack showed that his assailants wanted him dead, police said.

In the brutal 6am slaying last Saturday (April 21), two men in full-faced helmets riding high-powered motorcycles waited 20 minutes in the dark near Jalan Meranti in Setapak, before assassinating Dr Fadi.

He was walking to a mosque some 300m from his home at Idaman Puteri Condominium in Medan Idaman, when he was gunned down.

Dr Fadi, who is also an imam, was going to the mosque to lead the subuh prayers.