KAJANG, Oct 8 — The Prisons Department today denied allegations that a death row inmate at the Sungai Buloh Prison was beaten up while he was sleeping and was prevented from lodging a police report last week.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said investigations found that the man was acting aggressively when officers were conducting regular inspections.

He said investigations also found that the inmate possessed illegal substance of 163 grammes of tobacco.

"The real issue is that the prisoner was found to have the prohibited substance. So, when officers conducted a routine check on the block, he tried to provoke and obstruct the officers from carrying out their duties,” he told reporters after opening the Psychology Convention at the Prisons Department headquarters here today. 

Following the incident, the inmate was taken to Sungai Buloh Hospital for examination and did not suffer serious injuries, he added.

Zulkifli said there was no objection from his side if the inmate wanted to make a police report.

"At first he refused to make the report, but later changed his mind and lodged a police report two days later,” he said, adding that report was lodged at the Sungai Buloh Police headquarters on October 3. — Bernama