COVID-positive detainee dies at Kota Tinggi Hospital - Bukit Aman

KUALA LUMPUR: Police confirmed that a local detainee (OKT) who was awaiting trial, has died in the COVID-19 ward at Kota Tinggi Hospital in Johor yesterday.

Bukit Aman Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) director Datuk Azri Ahmad said the OKT, who had come down with fever and vomiting, was confirmed positive for COVID-19 before he was sent to the hospital for further treatment on Feb 16 (Wednesday).

"The detainee was previously placed temporarily in a police lock-up due to the spread of COVID-19 in prison. The cause of death of the OKT is still unknown and the JIPS Criminal Investigation and Death in Detention Unit will conduct an investigation into the death.

"The 43-year-old OKT who was arrested on Jan 21 by the Kota Tinggi district police headquarters, was being investigated under Section 15 (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said in a statement today.

Azri said the detainee was charged in court on Jan 25 and remanded for four days. Bail was offered but he failed to provide a surety, resulting in him being remanded in jail.

He said the re-mention date for the case was set on Feb 1 and the trial was set for Feb 28.

In a separate statement later, Azri confirmed that the cause of death was COVID-19, which caused a drop in the functions of the detainee's kidney and lungs.

He said JIPS would continue with its investigations from various angles before submitting its findings to the coroner.

-- BERNAMA