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A man died at Insein prison in Yangon on Sunday after being arrested for allegedly tampering with three passenger planes belonging to Air KBZ, where he worked as an avionics engineer.

Min Min Soe, 34, was arrested on September 11 and charged with being part of a group of people who put leaves in the pitot tubes of planes, an act of sabotage that could have caused the planes to crash. The tubes are used to measure the speed of an aircraft at altitude.

The man’s family learned of his death on Monday on their way to prison after hearing a rumor that he would be released as part of the junta’s amnesty.

Authorities Told His Father, Soe Paing, That He Died While Being Treated In The Intensive Care Unit Of The Prison Hospital After Suddenly Fainting And Suffering From High Blood Pressure at the time of his death. Min Min Soe had no known health problems.

“We were told that he died of heart and kidney problems,” Soe Paing said, citing a statement made to him by the prison doctor and a prison guard.

Prison officials also told him that Min Min Soe was treated on October 9 for “having spots on his lungs” but gave no further details, Soe Paing added.

The family recovered the body on Monday and cremated it at Yay Way Cemetery the next day. Soe Paing said there was no sign of abuse or torture on her body.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Soe Paing said. “They broke him psychologically.”

On the day of his arrest, Min Min Soe was invited to a meeting at an Air KBZ office and arrived to find soldiers waiting for him.

“He was drawn there… we haven’t seen our son since he was taken to the interrogation center,” said Soe Paing.

Min Min Soe spent 24 days at the Aung Tha Pyay Interrogation Center in Mayangone County in Yangon before being transferred to Insein Prison on October 5.

“The company does not even answer our calls sometimes. Everyone there continues to pass responsibilities on to each other, ”he said.

On August 12, one of Air KBZ’s ATR 72-600 planes was grounded before its scheduled departure to Heho from Yangon after sheets in the pitot tube were discovered during a pre-flight inspection, they said. reported junta-controlled media.

A second ATR 72-600 was used for the flight instead, but had to return to Yangon after the autopilot system failed. Once he landed he turned out to have leaves in his pitot tubes as well. The airline allocated a third plane for the trip but again found leaves in the pitot tubes.

The September 24 report in junta-controlled media said the sheets were filed by Thein Lin Htaik, the airline’s line maintenance manager, with the help of four other staff under the direction of the airline. ‘a janitor. The story does not mention Min Min Soe.

Up to 21 Air KBZ staff, including Min Min Soe, were subsequently detained at Insein Prison in connection with the case, said Soe Paing. Min Min Soe worked at the company for 11 years, he added.

Soe Paing blames Air KBZ for her son’s death, saying the airline has shown “lack of responsibility”.

“Their senseless accusations cost him his life,” said Soe Paing.

Air KBZ could not be reached for comment on the matter.