SIX HUMAN SKELETONS FOUND IN ABANDONED HOUSE IN KANGKAR PULAI PLANTATION

JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Six human skeletons, including five from a family believed to have died more than three months ago, were found in a burned house in an oil palm plantation in Kangkar Pulai, Skudai last month.

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the husband of one of the victims lodged a report at Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters (IPD) on Jan 9, after finding the human skeletons while searching for his wife and children who were reported missing.

"The 48-year-old complainant had received information that his wife and children had been living in the house, which was located far from the main road, without electricity and water supply, before he went looking for them himself," he said in a press conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters (IPK) today.

Following the discovery, a forensic pathology team from the Sultanah Aminah Hospital and Johor PDRM forensics conducted an examination and post-mortem on the skeletons that were found in the house, which is located near an abandoned temple.

Investigations found that the six victims consisted of a 35-year-old woman, a 19-year-old girl, two girls aged nine and five, a two-year-old boy and a 29-year-old man.

He said police were still investigating the period when all these victims were reported missing.

Following further investigation and intelligence, police arrested four local suspects consisting of three men and one woman aged between 19 and 35 around Iskandar Puteri on Jan 21 to assist in the investigation.

The results of a check found that all the suspects had past criminal records and initial urine screening tests showed that three of them tested positive for drugs.

Asked about the motive for the murder, he said that the matter would be known through the court trial..

He said the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the death sentence or imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of the cane.

Ab Rahaman said the investigation has been referred to the Johor Attorney-General's Chambers with two male suspects to be charged at the Johor Bahru Magistrate's Court tomorrow for murder.

Two other suspects who were released on police bail would be made prosecution witnesses.

-- BERNAMA