Wife of Cradle CEO says been kept in dark over investigations

PETALING JAYA: The wife of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan, has criticised the authorities investigating the death of her husband, saying that she has been kept in the dark about the investigations.

Samirah Muzaffar said that she had been writing to the Fire and Rescue Department requesting for updates, but was told that the report by the department could not be given to her because Nazrin’s death was a high profile case.

She added that she also wanted information on certain missing items and personal belongings of Nazrin, which have not been seen since the incident.

Samirah also alleged that the Fire and Rescue Department had made claims which are patently untrue, particularly that it had taken control of the premises, specifically the room where Nazrin’s death occurred, from June 14 to 19.

She said that after 5pm on June 14 itself, the family was informed that it could access the room, as well as clean the said room.

“And yet, the fire department produced a letter on June 19 which was backdated to the June 14. Acts of this sort which transgress established procedures erode our confidence in the authorities,” she said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 14).

She also said that she had lodged police reports pertaining to the investigations and missing items since June.

Samirah added that some media reports on the incident have not been consistent with the findings of the report on the postmortem examination issued by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), on Aug 2.

She said the postmortem report stated that Nazrin sustained a blunt penetrating injury at the left parietal region and the wound was associated with a severe degree of head injury.

She added that it also stated that “multiple smaller blunt penetrating injuries of various sizes were found on his face, neck, chest, left shoulder and back of left hand bearing the pattern of shrapnel injuries”.

Samirah said the postmortem report concludes that the cause of death is “complication of blast and blunt penetrating injuries” and there was no mention of “traces of petrol on his head” or on any other part of Nazrin.

“As most would know, my late husband, Nazrin Hassan, led his life with integrity, honesty and professionalism, and I seek that the investigations in relation to his death also be conducted with the highest standards of ethics, transparency and accountability,” she said.

The police had reclassified the probe as murder following a forensic investigation report by the Fire and Rescue Department, which cited suspected foul play in the death.

Nazrin died of what was initially believed to be smoke inhalation after his room caught fire at his double-storey terraced house in Mutiara Damansara.

The fire was thought to have occurred after his mobile phone exploded while charging.

Nazrin apparently complained of a migraine and went to bed after taking some medication.