KOTA KINABALU: A dispute over the theft of RM85 might have led to the death of a 17-year-old vocational school student at a hostel in Sabah's east Lahad Datu district on Friday (March 22).
It is believed that the teenager was attacked by his dormitory mates after they accused him of stealing RM85 belonging to two other students.
Lahad Datu OCPD Asst Comm Dr Rohan Shah Ahmad, in a statement Saturday (March 23), said that police investigations so far indicated that the victim, Mohammad Namie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, was accused by the suspects of stealing RM35 and RM50 from two different students at the hostel.
"They accused him of stealing the money and beat him up," he said, ending in the teenager's death from the incident.
He said investigations for murder were still ongoing, and they had obtained a six-day remand order from the Lahad Datu Magistrates Court for the 13 suspects aged 16 to 19.
All the suspects were arrested on Friday after the victim's body was found at a dormitory at the vocational school.
"We have also taken statements from 12 witnesses that include four hostel wardens, security guards and a few of the college students involved," he said.
He said that all suspects tested negative for drugs during a preliminary urine test.
"We have also seized 12 smartphones of the suspects," he said, adding that they were still waiting for a full post-mortem report on the cause of death of the victim.
A post-mortem was conducted at the Lahad Datu Hospital's Forensic Department earlier Saturday, with family members gathering outside.
