Torture by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission - Taken from theStarOnline

Thursday September 10, 2009

Assistant manager: MACC officers tortured me during questioning

By WANI MUTHIAH

SHAH ALAM: The “mystery witness” accusing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission of torture during questioning has turned out to be a 23-year-old assistant manager.

T. Sivanesan, who was brought in by the legal team holding a watching brief for the family of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, claimed that he was beaten up by commission officers in September last year.

He testified at the inquest into Teoh’s death that he was hit on his body and buttocks with an iron rod wrapped with a newspaper and blindfolded with a yellow towel when held at the Selangor MACC office in Plaza Masalam from Sept 4 to Sept 9 last year.

Sivanesan, who works with Puncak Rezeki Makmur Sdn Bhd, said three officers - known only as Zulkifli, Ashraf and J - had gone to his house in Jenjarom on Sept 4 and asked him to accompany them to their office to help with some investigations.

“When I was there, an officer called Mohan came in and told me in Tamil that if I didn’t speak the truth, the place would become hell,” he said, adding that the officers later brought in a pair of handcuffs together with documents for him to sign and admit his guilt.

Sivanesan claimed that the beating started after midnight when he was taken to a dark room and accused by a tall, bespectacled officer of being “stubborn”.

“He slapped my cheeks five or six times and told me to sign the documents. When I still refused, he ordered me to strip down to my underwear,” he said.

He claimed there were about 10 to 15 officers in the room then, one of whom - who was known as Ashraf - used a profanity and a racial slur against him and beat his genitals with a cane.

He said he twice blacked out during the interrogation to wake up with a packet of ice cubes shoved down the front portion of his underwear.

He later gave in and admitted his guilt because he could no longer bear the pain.

Sivanesan said he lodged a police report on Sept 11 last year and was treated at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for injuries on his head, genitals and kidneys.

Teoh, who was the political secretary to Selangor executive councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah, had been summoned to the state MACC office at the 14th Floor Plaza Masalam here for questioning on July 15.

He was found dead on the fifth floor service corridor of the building the following day.

In PETALING JAYA, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the chambers wanted a revision to the coroner’s decision to accept Sivanesan’s statement, which he stated was “totally irrelevant”.

“We feel the inquest has diverted from the original aim and want it to be back on track,” he added.