By Ken Vin Lek - Free Malaysia Today,
FULL REPORT SHAH ALAM: The Shah Alam Coroner's Court today ordered the Selangor government to make a formal application to allow Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand to testify via video conferencing in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.
“The court needs a reason as to why Pornthip could not make it and to see whether there are any objections to the manner of a testimony via video conference,” said coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas.
He then fixed June 11 for the application to be heard in court.
Earlier Teoh's family lawyer Gobind Singh told the coroner that the Criminal Procedure Code allowed a witness, with the permission of the court, to testify via video.
“This is important especially if it is expedient in the interest of justice to do so,” he said.
MACC's counsel Tan Hock Chuan however said that the court must decide if the method of testifying, if allowed, would be fair to the other parties.
Pornthip was originally scheduled to testify today but was not present following "security issues" surrounding her safety. The hearing was then adjourned for the application to be made.
She had reportedly said to have received "political pressure" from the Malaysian government not to testify at the inquest, failing which her work in Southern Thailand and her safety would be affected.
Yesterday the Selangor government, who was responsible for requesting Pornthip's expertise for the inquest, revealed that it was prepared to provide video conferencing facility for the expert to testify from Bangkok.
"We are prepared to have the video conferencing for her to testify live from Bangkok and this has been given approval from the Thai Ministry of Justice," said Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim.
No clearance to come
Talking to reporters after the case was adjourned, Gobind said the application, if allowed, would set a precedent.
“It will be the first time it becomes possible for a witness to testify from outside Malaysia if this application is accepted,” he said.
“Dr Pornthip is prepared to testify by video conference for the inquest and the Selangor government is prepared to provide video conferencing facility for the expert to testify from Bangkok” he added.
When asked why Pornthip could not make it today, he said: “It was because Thailand’s Ministry of Justice did not give her the clearance to leave the country and testify in Malaysia”.
Thirty-year-old Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, last year, after being interrogated overnight at the MACC office, located on the 14th floor of the same building, as part of investigations into alleged irregular disbursement of state funds.
The inquest had previously heard testimony from British forensics expert Prof Dr Peter Vanezis, who appeared for the MACC, on April 26 and 27.
Azmil has also set May 21 to announce his decision whether or not to grant leave to Teoh's brother, Meng Kee, to cite Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz for contempt for calling Pornthip a liar.
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