Corruption: another death at the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission

Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56, was an assistant director of customs at Klang, Malaysia's biggest shipping port.

Last week, he was arrested in connection with the extensive investigation of customs officers which MACC began several months ago. The investigation also includes an inquiry into money laundering by organised crime gangs alleged to have benefited from large-scale tax and duty evasion amounting to several thousand million ringgit.

Ahmad Sarbani (that is his surname in the Malay naming convention) was released on bail. But two days later, riding a motorcycle, he returned to the MACC building near central Kuala Lumpur shortly before 8:30 a.m.

He had not been called for interview and had not made an appointment. He asked to speak to the officer who had interviewed him and was asked to wait until the officer was available. The officer was in a meeting and shortly before 9:30 Ahmad Sarbani was taken to an interview room and told that the officer would be along when the meeting finished. At about 10:15, the person who had escorted Ahmad Sarbani to the interview room and remained with him excused himself for a few minutes. When he returned a short while later, Ahmad Sarbani was no longer in the room.

A few moments later, Ahmad Sarbani's body was discovered on the badminton court on top of the first floor. He had, it appears, plunged from the window of the interview room on the third floor, a fall of only some 25 feet.

MACC is currently embroiled in an investigation over the death of TEOH Beng Hock who died after falling down a flight of stairs while in custody.