AG told to resign for failing to bring murder charges against cops despite shocking audio, post-mortem

Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar has come under heavy criticism from lawyers representing three men who were shot dead by police last year, after he ordered an inquest into the incident despite clear evidence in the form of forensically checked audio recordings and post-mortem reports that point to murder charges.

Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, the lawyers representing three youths gunned down by police in Durian Tunggal, Melaka, last year, called for the AG's resignation, saying the government has failed the victims' families.

"He should make the decision to prosecute. Or he should resign. Final responsibility lies with the government, which must protect citizens and uphold the rule of law. If its AG cannot do this, the government must not hesitate to replace him."

They questioned the move to hold an inquest, saying it is only necessary when there are doubts and problems related to evidence.

"In this case, there is damning audio evidence that the victims were captured alive by police and then executed, contrary to police claims that they acted in self-defence."

On Nov 24 last year, Puspanathan Murulitharan, 21, Poonesvaran Tiagarajan, 24, and Logeswaran Georgie, 29, were as they drove northbound to Kuala Lumpur along the North-South Expressway, before they were gunned down.

Police later claimed the three men were armed with machetes and were 'highly wanted' members of a criminal gang.

But a week after the incident, lawyers and activists produced a chilling recording of a phone  call between the wife of one of the victims, Logeswaran, providing evidence that challenges the police claim.

An annotated transcript of the recording, verified by forensic experts, also found no indication of the discovery of weapons as alleged by police.

On July 6, after more than eight months of silence from the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), lawyers revealed shocking details of post-mortems conducted by a government hospital which pointed to a possible 'execution-style' killing by the officers involved.

Among them was a finding of downward angles of the bullets' penetration, which challenged claims that police fired shots in self-defence.

"Based upon this solid evidence, murder charges should have been brought against all the police personnel involved. Instead, the AG has ordered a completely unnecessary inquest," said Rajesh and Sachpreetraj.

They contrasted the decision with the AG's own directive that the investigation be conducted under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

"Dozens of witness statements were recorded. The investigation papers were reviewed, returned, and reviewed again. When the moment came to make the decision that he alone is empowered to make, he instead referred the matter to a coroner," they added.

"It is an abdication of his duties as AG and his constitutional responsibility."

The AGC said the decision to launch an inquest was made after considering "overall evidence and findings of the police investigation".

"The inquest aims to determine the cause and circumstances of the deaths and examine the facts that led to the deaths, including whether there was any criminal element in relation to the deaths of the three individuals in the shooting incident in Durian Tunggal, Melaka, on Nov 24, 2025," it said in a statement yesterday.

Rajesh and Sachpreetraj, however, reminded Dusuki of his constitutional responsibility.

"Article 145 of the Federal Constitution vests prosecutorial authority in the AG alone. That responsibility cannot be transferred – not to a coroner, or anyone else."

They said families of the victims have fully cooperated during the investigation.

"They have grieved with dignity and waited with patience. They were entitled to a decision. Instead, they have received more unexplainable delay and evasion.

"The public is now left with one question: if a case investigated as murder for months cannot yield a decision to prosecute, under what circumstances will any police officer ever be prosecuted for an unlawful killing?"