IGP: Three military trainers to face culpable homicide charges over Palapes cadet death

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 27): Three Malaysian Armed Forces officers will be brought to the Sessions Court in Kota Tinggi this morning to face charges of culpable homicide over the death of a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) cadet.

The three men, who served as trainers for the university’s Reserve Officer Training Unit (Palapes), were initially investigated for murder following the death of trainee Syamsul Haris Shamsudin.

However, the inspector-general of police (IGP) confirmed today that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has opted to proceed with a lesser charge.

In a press statement, IGP Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the authorities received the completed investigation papers back from the AGC on Tuesday.

“The Attorney General’s Chambers has issued instructions to charge three (3) PALAPES trainers, who are officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces, under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder,” he said.

The initial police probe was conducted under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty or up to 40 years in prison.

By classifying the prosecution under Section 304(a), the three accused will avoid the capital charge.

If convicted of culpable homicide, they face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and are liable to a fine.

The trio were scheduled to have the charges formally read to them before a Sessions Court judge at 9am today.

Given the intense public scrutiny surrounding the death of the university student while under military training, the IGP issued a reminder to the public to refrain from circulating unverified information or speculating on the circumstances of Syamsul Haris’s death.

He said that with the charging and criminal trial process officially underway, all parties must allow the law to take its course and respect the principles of the country’s criminal justice system. — Malay Mail