GEORGE TOWN, Oct 29 — Police investigations have revealed that the suspect remanded in connection with the rape and murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Intan Suraya Mawardi in Teluk Kumbar had another past criminal record for having tools for house break-ins, besides a drug offence.
Shedding light on police findings into the murder, state criminal investigation department chief SAC Datuk Zakaria Ahmad said the suspect was once arrested along with his friends in 2014 for being in possession of tools suspected to be used for house break-ins.
Zakaria, however, said the suspect was not charged at the time because there was no evidence to prove he and his friends had used the tools to commit house break-ins or any other crime.
“So, the suspect and his friends were not charged,” Zakaria clarified.
Police had previously told the media that the 20-year-old suspect had a past record for being in possession of a small amount of ganja. He was never charged nor convicted.
On Tuesday, Zakaria told the media the suspect had confessed to having slashed the victim to death.
He said investigation papers on the case would be submitted by this week to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s office for further action.
Zakaria hopes the suspect will be charged before his remand period expires on November 1.
Intan Suraya, a form five student of SMK Teluk Kumbar, was found with her throat slit by her father in her bedroom at the family flat in Teluk Kumbar at around 7.30pm on Sunday.
According to the police statement at the time, the victim was raped before being murdered.
The suspect, a school security guard employed by a Kota Baru-based security firm, was detained on the same day.
Zakaria said police investigations revealed the suspect got to know the victim after being introduced by friends.
Investigations also revealed the suspect was from Desa Wangsa Permatang Damar Laut, Bayan Lepas, which was some 5km from the victim’s flat in Bandar Baru Teluk Kumbar.
When asked how a person with a criminal record could be employed as a security guard at a school, Zakaria said the onus was on the security firm to screen potential security guards before employment.
He said it was the responsibility of the security firms to comply with the necessary requirements of the Education Department before agreeing to the hiring and deployment of security guards at education offices and schools.
On Tuesday, state education director Shaari Osman said it was the responsibility of security firms, not the education department, to do a background check on their security guards.
Zakaria said police would cooperate if security firms requested for any data-related assistance from them.
“We do not have any record of the security firm submitting a request for a background check of the suspect or any other employee engaged by the firm,” he said.
