POVERTY: Paw used to stay in this dilapidated house. (Inset) Paw Gin Din.
SIBU: The police here yesterday recorded the statements of six persons to determine whether there was anything suspicious behind the death of Paw Gin Din, the man who used to sell lottery result slips on the street.
ASSISTING THE POLICE: Yap shows the statement he gave at the police station.
The 37-year-old was thought to have died in a hit-and-run accident last Sept 26, but about a month later his family members found he had bought insurance policies worth at least RM700,000 and left a stranger as the beneficiary.
It is learnt that Paw and the beneficiary came from Sungai Bidut near here.
After Paw’s family members requested police to re-investigate the case, his body was exhumed for a post mortem last week.
The six who had their statements recorded at the police station yesterday morning included Paw’s family members, relatives, neighbours and Dudong assemblyman Yap Hoi Liong.
The police are expected to move on soon to record the statements of the insurance beneficiary and representatives from the insurance companies.
One of the six said Paw, a dropout from school after completing primary four, had been selling lottery result slip for 50 sen each. He could only earn not more than RM30 on a lottery draw night and not more than RM400 monthly and had to support his aged father Tan Yeu.
“They were virtually living in poverty and on charity. Before their death, a villager had let them stay in his empty house, and a neighbour had provided free power and water for the father and son.”
A family member said Paw had bought an old television set before his death for only RM90 “and even for that, he needed to pay instalments without interest.”
“But, we found after his death he had bought a few insurance policies, including one life and four accident, worth at least RM700,000, and he would need to pay an annual premium of RM3,000. The problem is Paw even needed to pay instalments for a RM90 television set,” added the family member.
Paw’s father died last Dec 1, less than three months after Paw’s death.
The mystery surrounding Paw’s death is now being pursued by his elder brother with the help of Yap, a lawyer.
There are claims that the insurance policies might be worth more than RM800,000. Some claimed they could be worth about RM1.3 million.
The police have not confirmed the amount of the insured sum.
They are expected to get all the details on the insurance policies and look into the legal technicalities involved.
Paw was found dead on a secluded road in Sibu Jaya last Sept 26, thought to be from a fatal hit-and-run accident which the police classified under Section 4(1) of the Road Traffic Ordinance.
A post mortem last week confirmed the tyre of a car had run over Paw’s chest, crushing it.
Family members hoped the police would look into why Paw’s bicycle was only slightly damaged when he died in such a violent way while cycling.
Meanwhile, Yap praised the police yesterday for responding promptly to family members’ request to investigate Paw’s mysterious death.
He said family members were comforted by the assurance from police chief ACP Shafie Ismail that they would fully probe the mystery.