A PRIVATE detective investigating the death of Dutch-Belgian model Ivana Smit here last year has said he is certain she was murdered, and has implied a police cover-up in the case, according to Dutch online newspaper, the NL Times.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a British private investigator hired by Smit’s family, said he “had no doubt” that the case would have been treated as homicide in the United Kingdom.

“I have no doubt. From the evidence that I have collected this week and other information that we have through forensics, we are in a position to clearly say: If this was being dealt with in the UK, it would have been treated as a homicide investigation,” he told Belgian broadcaster TVL.

Smit was found dead on December 7 after she fell from the 20th floor of a Kuala Lumpur apartment building which belonged to an American couple.

Her naked body was found on a balcony on the 6th floor.

Malaysian police concluded that the 18-year-old woman’s death was a tragic accident, which her family did not accept.

Dutch pathologist Frank de Groot did an autopsy on the body and concluded that some of the injuries she sustained were not consistent with a fall from a great height, according to the report.

Williams-Thomas, said to be in Malaysia now, told TVL that there were signs of a cover-up of the case, adding that Malaysia had a “massive” problem with corruption, according to the NL Times.

“We very clearly found out that clubs and individuals paid the police for protection,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Williams-Thomas, many people he spoke to regarding Smit’s death were only willing to talk about it after he promised them anonymity.

“There were very few people whom we talked to here who would not say that there was something suspicious to it,” he said.

“It was certainly not a tragic accident.”

He told the broadcaster that he hoped to be able to provide more information on the matter in the next week.  

Smit moved to Malaysia 13 years ago and lived with her grandfather Fredrik.

She was the second runner-up in the Malaysia Supermodel Search 2014.

Dang Wangi police chief Shaharuddin Abdullah had classified the case as “sudden death”, saying that investigations and the initial post-mortem report showed no elements of foul play. – February 5, 2018.