Teoh inquest: No match to unknown DNA found

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Aug 5 — The inquest into DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's death began this morning with lawyer Tan Hock Chuan, who is leading the Attorney-General's team, disclosing that swabs from 157 people were analysed but none matched the DNA of the unknown male found on Teoh's jacket and belt.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing the Teoh family, then asked the court to note that samples of Tan Boon Wah and Lee Wye Wing, who had earlier refused to give their DNA samples, were also not a match.

Earlier, Hock Chuan gave a list of 97 witnesses and suggested that the inquest start with 12 including three chemists and three pathologists. He also said the toxicology, criminology and DNA reports were ready.

Mohd Ridzuan was the second witness called in the inquest. — Picture by Jack Ooi

The coroner then called two witnesses — the female security guard who found Teoh's body and a male technician from Plaza Masalam. The technician, Mohd Ridzuan Samsuri, said there were only two ways to access the fifth-floor balcony where Teoh was found — through the rooftop or a grilled window on the same floor.

He said the grille was always locked and only maintenance and security had the keys and there was a record kept of who accesses the area.

The 30-year-old political secretary was found dead on the rooftop of a five-storey building next to Plaza Masalam, where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has its Selangor head office on the 14th floor, last July 16.

He had been taken in as a witness in a probe into alleged misuse of state funds. He was due to register his marriage to his two-month pregnant fiancee Soh Cher Wei the day he was found dead.

The Cabinet has formed a royal commission of inquiry into MACC's investigation procedures after it was revealed that Teoh was questioned from 6pm to 3.45am the next day.