theSun | THURSDAY JULY 30 2009 œ 3

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Inquest postponed
to Aug 5
SHAH ALAM: An inquest into the
death of political secretary Teoh
Beng Hock will been postponed
to Aug 5 to allow the lawyer
acting for his family to study the
evidence, the coroner’s court
decided yesterday.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha
Abas fixed the date after hear-
ing submissions from all parties,
mainly counsel Gobind Singh
Deo and government-appointed
lawyer Tan Hock Chuan who is
assisting the coroner.
Gobind Singh said it was
not his intention to delay the
proceedings, but that he needed
time if the proceedings were to
be conducted properly.
He said lawyers for Teoh’s
family also needed to engage
experts to study documents
relating to the case. “While we
want to hurry, we should not
compromise on the law, and
most importantly the interest of
justice,” he said, adding that he
needed 10 days.
Gobind Singh, who is the Pu-
chong MP, also asked for access
to the statements of witnesses.
“The officers who inter-
rogated Teoh are the persons
closest to the circumstances
leading to his death.”
The coroner said he would
decide on this application before
witnesses were called.
Seventy-seven witnesses are
expected to be called for the
inquest which is scheduled to
be held over 15 days.
In his submission, Gobind
Singh had asked for a stay of pro-
ceedings under Section 51A of the
Criminal Procedure Code, stating
DNA reports. These were later
Postponement correct
move: Gobind
provided by Tan, who however Teoh Beng Hoc
k
withheld witness statements. Who’s whoinquest:
Gobind Singh referred to Coroner
Tan’s statement that the “last Azmil Munta
thing the government wants is a Abas pha
delay”. “We are not interested in Government
the ‘last thing’. We are interested Tan Hock Ch
in justice (to the deceased),” he (counsel appoinuan
(From left) by Tan Yi Liang Gobind Singh, who by government) ted s t a t e -
said, adding that he could not Beng Hock’s newsdesk@thesundaily.com is representing Teoh’s DPP Idham ments,
understand why the inquest was Abdul Ghan
fiancee Soh family, said independent Lawyers for Te i saying the
being rushed as the police inves- Cher Wei, SHAH ALAM: A decision by coro- experts would be called to oh’s family most im-
Gobind Sing
tigation was completed only on father Teoh ner Azmil Muntapha Abas to grant assess the evidence. S.N. Nair h Deo portant were
Tuesday, and the post mortem Leong Hwee, a one-week postponement in an “That will be very Ram Karpal those of Mal-
report released the same night. brother Beng inquest into the death of political telling in the course of Lim Lip Eng Singh aysian Anti
Gobind Singh also made Karpal Sing
Kee and secretary Teoh Beng Huat was a the inquest and we now h Corruption
references to an incomplete Lawyers for Se
sister Lee Lan move in the right direction, allow- have time to send the state governm langor Commiss-
DNA report released yesterday, with Kota ing counsel time to assess evidence, reports to our own ent sion (MACC)
stating that it could hamper Malik Imtia
Alam Shah lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said. experts for their opin- Ashok Kandz Sarwar officers who
the proceedings by implicating assemblyman “We heard the counsel assisting ions. We hope to do that Sreekant Pi iah questioned
llai
certain witnesses in the inquest. M. the coroner say in court that the over the weekend,” he Lawyers holdi Teoh on the
He said the reports should be fi- Manoharan DNA of an unidentified male was said. for Bar Councilng watching brief night he died.
nalised first, so that any witness and Seri found on Teoh’s body. It is good Gobind Singh said 12 lawyers “We have
implicated could engage a law- Kembangan that the magistrate has given us the postponement Teh Poh Teikled by Hisyam a right to
yer to attend the proceedings. turns on a dawho will take
assemblyman time so that this investigation angle would also buy time to ily basis the witness
Earlier in asking for a post- Ean Yong can be completed,” he said outside have more witnesses statements,
ponement, he said the coroner Hian Wah the courtroom after the hearing contribute material evidence. and what is
should arrange to notify the yesterday. yesterday. He reiterated his call for witness important to us are recordings of
deceased’s next-of-kin of the the MACC officers interrogating
date, time and place of the in- Teoh that night as they were his
quest at least two weeks before last contact.”
hand, but that this had not been Veteran DAP politician Lim Kit
complied with in Teoh’s case. Siang again called on Prime Min-
He also submitted that for ister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
a first mention date, parties to expand the scope of a royal com-
should be allowed a maximum mission of inquiry into the matter
of three weeks to appear before to include circumstances leading
the coroner, the time to run from to Teoh’s death. It is at present
the date of receipt of the post limited to examining interrogation
mortem report, quoting Practice procedures of the MACC.
Direction No. 1 of the Guidelines “The right and proper thing is to
of Inquest 2007 – Section C on have a royal commission and not
the Notice of Inquest. an inquest. The arguments of the
He informed the coroner that PM and the AG that there cannot be
Teoh’s family were attending the a commission because there is an
proceedings in protest, taking inquest is untenable because there

KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/THESUN

that the team had not received the view that the cause of Teoh’s have been many (such) cases in
copies of the post mortem report, death should be determined by Commonwealth countries,” Lim
CCTV recordings, forensics and a royal commission of inquiry. said.
“The prime minister when
meeting the family, said he would
leave no stone unturned in probing
the causes of Teoh’s death, and up
Teoh’s family insists on RC until now not a single stone has
SHAH ALAM: The family of Teoh Beng Hock insists on a royal been turned,” he said.
commission of inquiry also determining the cause of his death and
not merely examining the mode of questioning employed by the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
His sister, Lee Lan, said the family expressed their appreciation
to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak for having met the
family to explain the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry,
Noisy transcript system causes a stir
but said its scope should be expanded. Lee Lan spoke to reporters SHAH ALAM: The start of an inquest into Teoh’s family members were among off, saying it was “a form of mental torture”.
outside the magistrate’s court here where an inquest into Teoh’s the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock those in the witness room adjacent to the “The projector was next to my head and
death yesterday. Teoh’s father Leong Hwee, brother Beng Kee and yesterday attracted a large crowd includ- courtroom, which was equipped with a making a winding, mundane noise,” he said,
fiancee Soh Cher Wei also attended the hearing. – Bernama ing Teoh’s friends and supporters – some court recording transcript system. adding that it was also annoying others. “The
of whom wore black badges which read However the system, which enables light cast onto the screen was reflecting off
“Justice for Beng Hock”. those in court to view on a large screen the back of my head and distracting Rajpal
Lawyers given interested party status Also present were Pakatan Rakyat politi- what the interpreter types, did not work Singh (who was part of a team holding a
SHAH ALAM: Tan Hock Chuan, who is assisting coroner Azmil cians such as Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, as smoothly as intended and was such a watching brief for the Bar Council).”
Munthapa Abas in the inquest into Teoh Beng Hock’s death, has Batu MP Tian Chua, Pandamaran assembly- distraction that it had to be switched off. It was the first time the system was
25 years of experience as a public prosecuter and lawyer. man Ronnie Liu and Subang assemblyman Counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who was act- used in an inquest, having been used in civil
During the proceedings yesterday, Tan said he was appointed Hannah Yeoh. ing for Teoh’s family, asked for it to be turned cases in the past.
by the government on Monday with the written permission of
the prosecution to help in the criminal investigation in connec-
tion with Teoh’s death.
Gobind Singh Deo, who is leading a team holding a watching
brief for Teoh’s family, successfully applied to be given “inter- Man kills wife in domestic squabble
ested party” status, allowing the team to question witnesses
during the inquest. Also given equal status was counsel acting by Charles Ramendran then allegedly grabbed a kettle and repeat- In Petaling Jaya, police recovered the
for the Selangor government, led by Malik Imtiaz Sarwar. Tan newsdesk@thesundaily.com edly hit his naked wife. The friend said he body of a woman who had been dead for
said the government had no objection to this. had slammed Subaidah’s head against the at least two days at a quarry in Bandar
KUALA LUMPUR: Two women and a man wall several times and when she went her Puchong Jaya at about 8am yesterday.
were found murdered in three separate aid, she was beaten up too. Subang Jaya police chief ACP
Suhakam inquiry into detention of lawyers cases reported in the Klang Valley yester- Sentul police chief ACP Zakaria Pagan Zainal Rashid said a cowherd spotted the
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Su- day. said the friend and the husband then went decomposed body and called the police.
hakam) will hold a public inquiry next month into the detention and At a budget hotel in Kepong at about out for a drink, leaving Subaidah alone in the It is believed the woman had been killed
arrest of five lawyers of the Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Bureau. 6am, a 30-year-old woman died after alleg- room. They returned an hour later but found elsewhere and her body, clad in jeans and
The three-day inquiry from Aug 14 will be conducted by commis- edly being battered with an electric kettle the room locked. Upon getting a spare key a T-shirt, dumped at the site. Police found
sioners Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh Onn Kheng and Datuk Dr Denison by her husband. from hotel staff and entering the room, they no identification documents on her.
Jayasooria at the Suhakam investigation room on the 29th floor According to police, Subaidah Abu Bakar found Subaidah, who had covered herself In the third case at about 1pm, a gar-
of Menara Tun Razak. A statement from the commission said the had travelled with her 34-year-old husband with a blanket, lying motionless. dener who had gone to ease himself in
hearing from 9.30am to 5.30am daily is open to the public. from Perak to look for a job here and had Zakaria said witnesses told police a a jungle about 100m from Jalan PJU 1a/5
The inquiry is being held to determine, among others, whether been staying at the hotel since Friday. On commotion broke out at the scene before in Ara Damansara, was stunned to come
the detention and arrest of the five lawyers at the Brickfields police Sunday, a 20-year-old woman, Subaidah’s Subaidah’s husband fled the place. He said across a body. He alerted the police who
headquarters on May 7 was a denial of legal representation and a friend, came to stay with the couple. police arrived at the scene minutes later spent the next three hours gathering clues
breach of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution and Section 28 of the Police said the friend, who witnessed and are now looking for the husband. at the site.
Criminal Procedure Code, and therefore tantamount to a violation the incident, told investigators that a fight Subaidah’s body has been sent to the Petaling Jaya deputy police chief Supt
of human rights. broke out between the couple at about Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary. Mohd Shukor Sulong said the decomposed
The inquiry will also determine whether there was any justifica- 3am when Subaidah’s husband accused It is learnt that she had previously made body was that of man whose identity is yet
tion for their detain and arrest under Section 27 of the Police Act her of cheating on him. five reports of domestic violence against to be ascertained. He said the man had
1967. – Bernama The husband, said to be a general worker, her husband over a period of one year. been been dead for at least six days.