Teoh’s inquiry: Lawyer seeks clarification

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock began its first day today with Gobind Singh Deo, representing the Teoh’s, firing his first salvo on the commission itself.

He questioned whether the inquiry would include new investigations or would it merely re-use facts from the inquest, which had returned an open verdict.

“Before the inquest, we had no evidence. But after a year the coroner found that there was indeed pre-fall injuries.

“I want to know, Mr Chairman, if the commission has done any investigations on those injuries. If not, what’s going to happen is the same as the inquest, or even the revision,” said Gobind, who also objected to prosecutors from the AG Chambers being the conducting officers at the inquiry.

He further asked if any statements were taken or arrests made.

Federal Court judge James Foong, the chairman of the commission, said that independent investigators would be sought by the court to assist in finding out its terms of reference.

Earlier, parties seeking representation , including Teoh’s family, the Selangor government, MACC and Bar Council, in the enquiry was allowed to do so by the panel.

Another matter being brought up was the fact that a revision was still pending and whether both could and should go on concurrently.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail is seeking a review of the coroner’s ruling.

On Jan 5, coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas delivered an open verdict, saying that Teoh’s death was neither suicide nor homicide.

Seeking adjournment

Karpal Singh, another lawyer for Teoh’s family, also asked that the court decide to have different dates for the inquiry as the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy case also resumed today.

Present today at the packed courtroom were Teoh’s family members, media, and supporters of Teoh, including PKR leader Tian Chua.

Last month, Federal Court judge Foong was appointed to head the commission to look into the cause of Teoh’s death and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) interrogation procedures.

Terms of reference

The commission’s terms of reference are:

1. To look into whether or not, there was any impropriety in the conduct of the examination of Teoh in the course of an investigation into a Shah Alam report by the MACC, in relation to its standing orders and practices, and to recommend any appropriate action, where necessary; and,

2. To enquire into Teoh’s death and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to his death.

The other four members of the commission are former federal judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, ex-Court of Appeal judge T Selventhiranathan, Penang Hospital’s senior consultant in forensic pathology Bhupinder Singh and Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science’s dean and consultant forensic psychiatrist Prof Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.

The inquiry is scheduled to end on April 25, when the final report will be handed over to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. The King will then decide the next course of action.

The conducting officers are senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh and deputy public prosecutors Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud and Kwan Li Sa.

Teoh, the DAP political aide to Selangor executive councillor and Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam here.

Teoh, then 30, died hours after he was interrogated overnight by the MACC at the Selangor MACC office located on the 14th floor of the same building. He was a witness in the alleged misuse of Selangor government allocations