Cop says he does not know who wrote ‘mystery note’

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — It could not be ascertained today in the coroner’s court if Teoh Beng Hock wrote the “mystery note” found after his death last year while a translation of its contents written in Chinese was also questioned by a lawyer representing the DAP political aide’s family.

A court interpreter had translated the note as saying “mereka ambil semua komputer saya. Maaf. Kenapa sangat menyusahkan? Saya dapat kelulusan YB. Saya sangat penat. Selamat Tinggal (They took all my computers. Sorry. Why are they being so difficult? I got the approval of YB. I am very tired. Goodbye).”

But Gobind Singh Deo, representing Teoh’s family, challenged the translation of some of the words written in Chinese, by pointing out to the interpreter that what she translated as “goodbye” could also mean “see you again”.

Under questioning from Gobind, police investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal, who had found the controversial note, also admitted to the court that he had not sent the note for any handwriting comparison.

Gobind and Selangor government lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar had last month questioned the relevance of the new evidence in the form of the mystery note.

Teoh’s family had also expressed outrage with the Attorney-General’s Chambers for trying to tender as evidence the note purportedly penned by him before he was found dead under mysterious circumstances last year.

They said it was highly “suspicious” that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail’s office would choose to bring up the evidence as the inquiry into Teoh’s death winds down, and 10 months after it was allegedly found.

They had expressed bewilderment as to why the A-G had not immediately sought their help after the note was allegedly found among Teoh’s belongings two months after his death.

Ahmad Nazri told the court today that he handed a notebook and a voucher — which he also discovered in Teoh’s bag — to the Chemistry Department as comparison handwriting samples with the controversial note.

“I don’t know to whom the book belonged to,” said Ahmad Nazri at the inquest today.

“It didn’t cross my mind,” he added when asked why he did not try to confirm the handwriting samples that were used as comparison.

Gobind asked Ahmad Nazri if his higher officers had instructed him to confirm the handwriting on the documents that were used to compare against the note.

“No, I was not. I was just ordered to get a sample handwriting,” said Ahmad Nazri.

“So you don’t know whose handwriting it is?” asked Gobind.

“No, I don’t,” replied the policeman.

He also admitted that he did not approach Teoh’s family to obtain handwriting samples.

Ahmad Nazri testified earlier that the deputy public prosecutor had informed him on October 7 last year that he would be called to testify and submit the case exhibits in the coroner’s court.

“So I checked Teoh’s bag and found a note in Chinese handwriting,” he said, adding that he had remembered a government psychiatrist telling him that there were usually notes left in suicide cases.

The investigating officer testified this morning that he listed down the note among other items in Teoh’s bag on July 17 last year after he found the bag the previous day at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) previous Selangor headquarters in Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam.

Ahmad Nazri said that he sent the note, which was written on a white A4 size paper, to the Chemistry Department on October 9 last year, along with a Visa Public Bank statement with Teoh’s name, 10 recorded investigation statements from the MACC, and a notebook with the words “Catatan Ringkas Pejabat Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan” that had 18 written pages and one blank page. He also submitted a voucher with Chinese handwriting the following day.

Gobind told reporters after the inquest that the note should not have been tendered as evidence as the investigating officer had failed to verify the author of the documents which were used as a basis of comparison.

“This is shocking! Logically, that document ought not to be admitted,” said Gobind.

“The IO agreed that it was important, but no action was taken to confirm the comparison handwriting,” added the Puchong MP.

He also dismissed the need to examine the contents of the note.

“If we don’t know who wrote those documents, do we even need to go into the document?” said Gobind.

He added that he would discuss with Teoh’s family and Selangor government lawyer Malik to decide if they should make a submission that the note be thrown out from the court.

“We can make a submission that the document be excluded. I will discuss with the family first and Malik. If it (the submission) needs to be made, it will be made at the next sitting,” said Gobind.

Malik pointed out that the note could be viewed as a diversion in the inquest if it was found that Teoh did not write the note.

“If the note is excluded, if it is not Teoh Beng Hock’s... it could be seen as a form to divert,” said Malik.

Last month, Dr Pornthip ruled out suicide during her second testimony at the inquest although she declined to repeat her previous assertion that Teoh’s death was 80 per cent homicide.

She has also maintained that the DAP political aide had suffered pre-fall injuries and that he was probably unconscious before he fell.

Malik has pointed out that Teoh was possibly tortured before he died, citing the pathologist’s testimony that the large bruise on Teoh’s neck was caused by trauma or blunt force.

Dr Peter Vanezis, the British forensic pathologist brought in by the MACC to observe Teoh’s second post-mortem last year, had also said that Teoh could have suffered pre-fall injuries.

Teoh, who was the political secretary to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah of the DAP, was found dead on the fifth-floor podium of Plaza Masalam on July 16 last year after overnight interrogation by the MACC.

Teoh is suspected to have fallen from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, then the state headquarters of the MACC.