TAIPING: Nearly 11 months after Twentytwo13 broke the story of a Taiping Prison inmate’s death, a prison warden was charged on Friday at the Taiping magistrate’s court with causing the death of 62-year-old Gan Chin Eng.
Ryndee O’nel Victor, 25, a warden attached to the Kamunting Correctional Centre, claimed trial after the charge was read before magistrate Ahmad Hamdi Mustafar.
Calmly entering his plea, Ryndee appeared in a grey shirt and light blue jeans. He was charged under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code for committing culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Ryndee, who is expecting his first child, faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, or a fine, or both, if convicted.
According to the charge, the offence was committed between 3.30pm and 4pm on Jan 17, 2025, at Hall B, Taiping Prison, Jalan Taming Sari, Taiping.
State prosecution director Muhammad Zaki Abdul Kudos led the prosecution, assisted by deputy public prosecutors Sally Chay Mei Ling and Nazura Asmon.
Lawyer M. Moganasundari held a watching brief on behalf of the deceased’s family.
The prosecution did not recommend bail, submitting that the offence was classified as non-bailable. However, defence counsel Mohd Aidil Arshad appealed for bail, citing the accused’s need to continue working to support his pregnant wife on a monthly income of RM2,000.
In response, Muhammad Zaki proposed bail of RM20,000 with two sureties and requested that the accused be barred from interfering with witnesses.
The court ultimately set bail at RM5,000 and fixed Feb 26 for mention. Ryndee later posted bail.
Twentytwo13 first reported the case on Jan 25, through an article by columnist and criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy, citing a police report lodged by Gan’s son in George Town, Penang.
On Jan 27, Twentytwo13 reported that Gan’s 19-year-old son alleged prison authorities were not truthful about his father’s cause of death, claiming the family was initially told Gan may have died from heart disease. Gan’s
However, the coroner's report stated that Gan died due to “abdominal injury caused by blunt trauma”.
On Jan 24, a family member of another detainee lodged a police report in Kerian, Perak, expressing concern for the safety of her relative, who was also held at Taiping Prison.
There were allegations that around 100 inmates were assaulted by more than 60 prison wardens using batons and tear gas during an incident at the prison.
Representatives from the United for the Rights of Malaysian Party alleged that the confrontation resulted in Gan’s fatal injuries.
The Prisons Department maintained that there had been a “provocation” and said investigations were ongoing. Police subsequently opened a murder investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
By late March 2025, Perak police confirmed that investigation papers had been completed and submitted to the deputy public prosecutor’s office.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) launched its own probe into the case, which also examined other allegations of custodial abuse and the separate death of another inmate with suspicious injuries.
Amid continued public concern and official silence, Suhakam announced a public inquiry to determine whether human rights violations had occurred, establish accountability, and recommend preventive measures.
The hearings began in Taiping on June 9, 2025, before moving to Kuala Lumpur in July. The inquiry, which ended on Sept 22, included testimony from the former prison director and 49 other witnesses, and a review of CCTV footage to shed light on events inside Taiping Prison on Jan 17.
Written and oral submissions were on Nov 28 and Dec 15 respectively. Suhakam is expected to announce a decision early next year.