Palestinian ex-officer dies after 'fall' in custody

A retired Palestinian security officer died on Sunday of injuries sustained after falling from a window while in Palestinian custody, security sources told AFP. The unidentified 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at a Ramallah hospital, where he was transported suffering serious injuries, with one source saying it was unclear if he had fallen or was pushed to his death. "This citizen is a retired security officer who was being held by the intelligence services in Ramallah on suspicion of corruption involving the sale of land," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity. "He fell from a building and died, but we do not know if he fell or was pushed," the source added. The details were confirmed by a second security source, who said the man was being investigated on suspicion of having "manipulated land records and sold land to Israel." Medical sources said the man's body was taken to the Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Dis, near Jerusalem, for an autopsy.