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Monday, 17 August 2009

Pathologist admits facts do not support suicide theory

By Debra Chong

SHAH ALAM, Aug 17 — The government pathologist, who last week suggested that a DAP political aide had committed suicide, admitted today in the coroner’s court that he did not find any facts to support his theory.

Dr Khairul Aznam Ibrahim from the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in nearby Klang told the inquest into Teoh Beng Hock’s death that he knew the 30-year-old was due to register his marriage the day he was found dead on a 5th-floor landing at Plaza Masalam here, nine floors below the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office.

The senior medical forensic expert had interviewed Teoh’s elder brother and younger sister as well as his 29-year-old teacher fiancée on the same day.

It was so he could find out the deceased’s psychological background and whether there had been any suicidal tendencies or substance abuse.

Khairul said the facts showed that Teoh was not susceptible to suicide.

Teoh’s elder brother told him that the deceased was an “open and talkative person”, the pathologist added.

But Khairul admitted, under intense grilling from Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Teoh’s family, that he did not interview any of the anti-graft officers to check the possibility of a motive for murder, despite knowing that the political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah had been subjected to an interrogation before he died.

“That is the duty of the police. Not me,” Khairul replied.

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