Police have arrested Samirah Muzaffar (right) to assist in the investigation into her husband Nazrin Hassan’s death. — Picture via Facebook/Nazrin Hassan
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Samirah Muzaffar, the wife of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd CEO Nazrin Hassan, was arrested early this morning for a murder investigation into his fiery death on June 14.
Selangor Criminal Investigations chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat also confirmed that Samirah’s first husband was also arrested today, adding that both will be remanded for seven days, starting today.
“We arrested the 43-year-old ex-husband to Nazrin’s wife at 1am in Sepang.
“Following his arrest, we picked up Nazrin’s 43-year-old wife from Taman Tun Dr Ismail at 2.15am today,” said Fadzil.
Nazrin’s death was reclassified from sudden death to murder on August 3, following laboratory test results from the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department that showed foul play.
The results showed traces of petrol in Nazrin’s room on the top floor of a double-storey semi-detached house in Mutiara Damansara, resulting in the fire.
Malay Mail reported on August 6 that a police source revealed the lab results showed traces of petrol on Nazrin’s head, bedframe and mattress, as well as his handphone.
On June 20, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman also told Malay Mail that his investigators did not conclude or even suggest that an exploding handphone killed Nazrin as the family had claimed.
Azmi had said it was premature to conclude that the fire was caused by an exploding handphone.
According to results of the preliminary investigation of the Fire and Rescue Department, Nazrin, who was 45, likely died of smoke inhalation. He also suffered burns to 30 per cent of his body.
Police were not roped in at the time as the Fire and Rescue Department was still studying the fire’s pattern for laboratory submissions and further analysis.
Nazrin is Samirah’s second husband. The couple has four children.
Following the incident, Cradle issued a statement asserting that Nazrin died from blast injuries attributed to an exploding handphone that was being charged next to him.
The message from Nazrin’s family included other unverified details, such as that Nazrin’s device overheated and exploded, causing blunt force trauma to the back of Nazrin’s head, killing him.
The message also alleged that Nazrin was dead before his bed caught fire, partially burning his body.
Cradle is a firm under the Ministry of Finance, which oversees the development of tech entrepreneurs and the Malaysian start-up ecosystem.
It was the agency that provided seed funding to firms such as ride-hailing provider Grab (previously MyTeksi) and fintech start-up iMoney.
The incident took place on June 14, a day before Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested deceased Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan's (pic) wife, Samirah Muzaffar, and her ex-husband for murder.
Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said police arrested the two individuals in the wee hours of Tuesday to help with their investigations.
"We picked up a 43-year-old man at Sepang at around 1am.
"About an hour later we arrested the 43-year-old woman at Taman Tun Dr Ismail," he told The Star.
SAC Fadzil added that police have obtained a seven-day remand from the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court for the two individuals.
Nazrin was found dead after being trapped in a fire on the upper floor of his house in Mutiara Damansara on June 14, with burn marks on 30 percent of his body.
Police reclassified the probe as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code on Aug 3, following a forensic investigation report by the Fire and Rescue Department, which cited suspected foul play in the death.
It was reported that traces of petrol were found in the deceased's room following a lab report by the department.
Samirah, a senior executive at the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation, later criticised the authorities.
She said that she had been writing to the Fire and Rescue Department requesting for updates, but was told that the report by the department could not be given to her because Nazrin's death was a high profile case.
In a statement on Aug 14, she added that she also wanted information on certain missing items and personal belongings of Nazrin, which have not been seen since the incident.
Samirah also alleged that the Fire and Rescue Department had made claims which are patently untrue, particularly that it had taken control of the premises, specifically the room where Nazrin's death occurred, from June 14 to 19.
She said that after 5pm on June 14 itself, the family was informed that it could access the room, as well as clean the said room.
"And yet, the Fire Department produced a letter on June 19 which was backdated to the June 14. Acts of this sort which transgress established procedures erode our confidence in the authorities," she said in her statement.
She also said that she had lodged police reports pertaining to the investigations and missing items since June.
Related stories:
Cradle CEO's wife remanded in murder investigation (updated)
Cradle Fund CEO’s death may be murder, say police
Cradle CEO Nazrin Hassan dies in room fire
Unsung hero of the startup ecosystem
