Cops told to investigate ‘new details’ in Teoh case - from MySinCHew.com

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/27984

2009-08-07 14:29

SHAH ALAM: The police have been asked by a coroner’s inquest to investigate “two new details” which could prove significant in learning how Teoh Beng Hock died, lawyer Gobind Singh Deo told reporters Friday after the court visited Plaza Masalam here, where the DAP man was interrogated by graft busters before being found dead.

But Gobind, who is representing Teoh’s family, stopped short of disclosing what the details are, merely stating that the police have been asked to investigate the newly found evidence.

“I would just leave it for the police to investigate them. That is the appropriate thing to do,” he said.

He explained that investigations into Teoh’s death could still continue even at this point because “police had not embarked on an investigation of murder, or a non-accidental death, which could mean he was pushed.”

Gobind added they were now waiting for a written reply from foreign forensic experts who may be called in next week to aid the inquest.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who is representing the Pakatan Rakyat-run state government in the inquest, said there were still many questions left unanswered over the circumstances surrounding Teoh’s death.

The state is keeping an open mind on the possible causes of his death and have not ruled out the fact that he may not have fallen to death, as is widely-speculated, he said.

It is for that reason that the state is sharing resources with Teoh’s family, he added.

Malik said they have sent the preliminary reports from the police, including the autopsy and forensic reports to two experts in Thailand and Australia respectively and hoped to receive their written views over the weekend.

The 30-year-old political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah had been questioned overnight at the office tower block which houses the Selangor branch of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over alleged misuse of state funds.

His body was found on an overhang nine floors below the next day, July 16, the same day he was to marry his sweetheart.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas, who is acting as coroner in the inquest, led today’s entourage, which included lawyers for the federal Barisan Nasional (BN) government, the Selangor government and Teoh’s family.

Azmil arrived at the site close to 10am. The group headed first to the MACC office on level 14 before walking up the internal staircase to level 15, to examine the extra rooms occupied and where Teoh may have been taken to before his death.

They also visited the fifth floor to gain entrance to the overhang where Teoh was found, before making their way to the security office a floor below which houses the closed-circuit television (CCTV) screens.

Lawyer Cheow Wee, who is holding a watching brief for the Bar Council, said the visit was important because it helped them “visualise” the surroundings described by the first six witnesses who discovered Teoh’s body and understand better the circumstances leading to his death.

He also told reporters the inquest questioned three to four MACC officers on duty today and noted the coroner had especially directed questions to them. But Cheow declined to elaborate on what was asked.

The inquest will continue in court on Monday with the government pathologists taking the witness stand. (By Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Debra Chong/The Malaysian Insider)