A Malaysian diplomat actively involved in the investigation of the Malaysian Flight MH370 was reportedly assassinated in Madagascar last August 24 amid claims he was about to transport new pieces of debris believed to belong to the missing jet.

Reports said Zahid Raza, Honorary Consul of Malaysia, was killed in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, days before he was due to fly to Malaysia to deliver some newly-found parts.

US lawyer Blaine Gibson, who was also involved in retrieving MH370 debris, claimed in his blog two pieces were found and handed over to local authorities last August 16.

Gibson said he originally did not intend to divulge the latest development before the delivery was made, but Raza’s suspicious death has prompted him to go public.

“Under the agreement between the two countries, debris is supposed to be collected by Hon. Zahid Raza, the Honorary Malaysian Consul in Madagascar, and delivered by private courier to Malaysia,” wrote Gibson.

“On August 24 the Hon. Zahid Raza was assassinated in Antananarivo. The debris is still safely in the hands of the Madagascar Authorities. However, new arrangements must be made for the collection and delivery of debris” he added.

Not connected to MH370 probe?

The Malaysian government meanwhile, denied any knowledge of Raza’s assassination to be connected to the MH370 probe.

“We have not heard anything about the honorary consul’s death being related to MH370. We were informed of his passing by his wife,” an official told The Malaysian Insight.

Reports also said Raza has been marked for assassination after being involved in a kidnap conspiracy in 2009.

But Gibson believed something is wrong and claimed he himself has received death threats and warning to stop his involvement in the search.

MH370 disappeared last March 8, 2014 shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing with 239 passengers in board.

Malaysia, China and Australia spent more than three years and millions of dollars in an extensive, albeit fruitless, underwater search that covered thousands of square miles in the Indian Ocean where experts believed it went down.

Conspiracy theories abound on the disappearance of the ill-fated flight including one that says it was hijacked by its own pilot and flown into the US-controlled Diego Garcia island, and that it was shot down by the aliens in midflight.

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