THE BROTHER of a City worker who died in a late-night assault accused the police of hiding facts yesterday and suggested one attacker was a member of the force.

Jay Abatan died from injuries sustained in an unprovoked attack after leaving a Brighton nightclub in January 1999.

Two men were arrested in connection with the incident a day later but lack of evidence meant no charges were brought against them. 

Jay’s brother Michael Abatan — who was also assaulted on the night — said he could not “understand why such significant facts have been kept from us.”

He claimed Sussex Police had made further investigation impossible due to connections to one of the men on the scene. 

Subsequent complaints from the Abatan family about the procedures led to separate reviews by Essex Police and Avon and Somerset Police.

Neither was able to shed more light on the incident.

Mr Abatan also suggested that the mishandling of his brother’s murder was a sign of  institutional racism at Sussex Police, comparing the case with Stephen Lawrence’s.

He added that “given the catalogue of flaws we have been subjected to, this merits a full public inquiry into the case and I will be taking this up with the Home Secretary.”

Sussex Police issued a statement saying there was no evidence of a police officer being involved in the attack.

“There has never been any suggestion, by the independent reviews or the coroner, of institutional racism,” the statement said.

Mr Abatan was set to meet with Sussex Police today to discuss the lack of results from the investigation of his brother’s death.