MH370 passengers "cleared" in four probe areas: Malaysian police

Malaysia Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar (C) addresses the media during a press conference near Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on March 11, 2014. (AFP/ MANAN VATSYAYANA)

>> No clues in MH370 cockpit transcript as search wears on

KUALA LUMPUR: The police have "cleared' all passengers of a missing Malaysian airliner of hijacking, sabotage and psychological and personal problems, but are still investigating the cabin crew including the pilot and co-pilot, said Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar on Wednesday.

He said investigation of the 227 passengers of the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 revealed that they were "free" from the four elements.

"They have been cleared of the four (elements). It (is) according to our own procedure (investigation)," he told reporters after opening a quality-enhancing seminar for the police on Wednesday.

He said the police were still investigating the four areas with regard to the cabin crew, including the pilot and the co-pilot.

Malaysia's top police official also warned that authorities may never learn what caused the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370, as he indicated a three-week-old criminal investigation has so far been inconclusive.

"Give us more time," Khalid told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

"We may not even know the real cause of this incident."

Khalid said that so far the police had recorded statements from more than 170 individuals over the disappearance of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, and added that they would record many more statements. 

He said the police would not release any findings of the investigation into the incident as it would jeopardise the ongoing probe.

"I'm sorry, there are things we cannot reveal to you; it is not that I don't want to reveal them to you, but we cannot do that. Because it's a criminal investigation, it is ongoing; we have not concluded the whole thing and we are still awaiting reports from experts overseas and internally.

"You must understand that. I think we have been very consistent (about the investigation). Who knows, maybe there will be prosecution later on. So, this will affect the prosecution's case if we start revealing our findings," he said. 

The sober assessment is unlikely to go down well with anxious family members of the missing passengers, especially Chinese relatives who have fiercely attacked Malaysia's government and the airline as incompetent "liars" and "murderers".

Two thirds of the 227 passengers were Chinese.

Malaysian police have said they were investigating the backgrounds of all 239 people on board the Malaysia Airlines jet, who included 12 crew members, as well as ground crew and flight engineers.

Their criminal probe has focused on the possibility of a hijacking, sabotage or psychological problems among passengers or crew.

"There are still more people we need to interview," said Khalid.

The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8 shortly after take-off on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The flight's captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, have come under particular scrutiny as Malaysia believes the plane was deliberately diverted by someone on board.

But no evidence has emerged to suggest a motive by either of the men, who appear to have been well-regarded by their peers.

Malaysian police and FBI experts were examining a flight simulator assembled by Zaharie at his home, hoping to find any clues.

But Khalid said he was still awaiting feedback from experts examining the simulator, adding that so far nothing conclusive had emerged.

A multi-nation search for wreckage from the plane is under way in the Indian Ocean after Malaysia said satellite data indicated it may have gone down there.