Police have clues to disappearance of MH370

KUALA LUMPUR: Police said today they have clues to the disappearance of flight MH370 but details can't be revealed as it may jeopardise investigations.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the leads to possibly solving the case are linked to one of the four aspects of the investigations namely - hijack, sabotage, the psychological state of all crew members and their personal issues.
"We are sorry but we cannot reveal any details of the case as it may affect prosecution or a trial if there is any in the future.
"We are very thorough in our probe. Even the four tonnes of mangosteens in the aircraft cargo is being investigated.
"Investigators are looking into who ordered them, paid for them and plucked and packed them from an orchard in Muar.
"That is how in-depth this probe is going," he said, adding that he did not discount the possibility that the cause of the aircraft's disappearance may never be known.
Khalid also refuted news reports that a flight simulator belonging to MH370 pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah that was subjected to investigations by police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has been cleared of any suspicion related to the missing Boeing 777-200ER.
"It may be cleared on one aspect but we have to look into other areas as well. No, it has not been cleared," he said in a press conference after a function at the Police Officers' College in Cheras today.
Last week, acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein had said that the FBI's scrutiny on the data log of the flight simulator showed nothing sinister.
Khalid said only the 227 passengers on board the flight have been vindicated while the crew members are still under investigations.
To date, 170 people have been interviewed by the police task force, among them family members and acquaintances of the crew and passengers.
He said investigations on the mechanical aspect or airworthiness of the aircraft is being probed by the Department of Civil Aviation and Malaysia Airlines.
Khalid denied claims by a foreign daily that the FBI and Australian authorities had proposed to take over investigations.
"These are all speculations. The agencies from both countries have not written to me or made such requests. Everybody knows their jurisdiction," he said.
He also debunked news reports by foreign dailies that quoted unnamed high-ranking Malaysian police sources, saying such information was mere speculation.
"None of them spoke to my officers and the information in these stories are untrue.
"The Minister of Transport (Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein) is considering suing these news sources for the false information they are disseminating," he said.
Asked if police are confident of solving the case, Khalid replied "We have to be confident to solve the case."