Inquest put off, MACC makes second try for review

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

Abdul Razak filed for an appeal against yesterday’s High Court decision to allow Sivanesan’s testimony. — Picture by Choo Choy May

SHAH ALAM, Sept 11 — The inquest into the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock was postponed today to Thursday.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas, who is acting as coroner, called for an adjournment to enable the police to supply a medical report and photographs recording the injuries of a new key witness in Teoh’s inquest.

The lawyer for Teoh’s family, Gobind Singh Deo, had two days ago introduced Sivanesan Tanggavelu as a witness to prove that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers who had been called to testify earlier were lying when they denied torturing people during interrogation.

Famed Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, who was supposed to testify as an expert witness on Monday, will now attend the inquest only after the Aidilfitri holidays, Gobind told reporters after the inquest.

Teoh’s family and his employer, the Selangor state government, believe foul play was involved and that the political secretary had been assaulted by Selangor graft busters before he fell to his death on July 16.

MACC lawyer, Datuk Abdul Razak Musa, also told the coroner’s court this morning that he had filed an appeal to review and revise magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas’ decision to admit Sivanesan as a witness with the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya.

The national anti-graft body had tried and failed to get the high court to remove Sivanesan’s testimony and police report alleging torture from the court records.

High Court judge Yeoh Wee Siam noted that the magistrate’s ruling was not “illegal, incorrect or improper” and threw out the MACC’s bid.

She also rejected its request to stay the inquest. Instead, she ordered it to continue immediately.

Abdul Razak tried to hold off the inquest from carrying on with cross-examining the witness today. He asked Azmil to stay the proceedings pending the result of their appeal to be heard. Gobind objected.

However, the inquest has been effectively postponed to enable the police to get the documents for the court.

Abdul Razak told reporters later that he hopes to hear from the appeals court by early next week whether it will hear their second bid to review and revise the magistrate’s ruling.