Police don’t rule out foul play in Teoh’s death

SHAH ALAM, July 18 — Political secretary Teoh Beng Hock died of multiple injuries due to a fall but police said they will not rule out foul play as they continue to question witnesses, including 17 anti-graft officials.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said they are still classifying the 30-year-old’s demise as sudden death following a preliminary report from the autopsy.

“These are just our initial findings.” Khalid told reporters today, adding that police were investigating the case thoroughly and from all angles.



Teoh died under mysterious circumstances a day after he was held by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its probe into alleged misappropriation of government allocations by Selangor executive council members.

The political aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead on the balcony on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam on Thursday afternoon.

He had been questioned by the MACC at its Selangor headquarters on the 14th floor of the building till 3.45am on Thursday before he was allowed to leave.

Khalid said to date police have recorded statements from 23 witnesses including 17 MACC officers but no arrest had been made.

Police are also probing the anti-graft body’s interrogation techniques and had also seized closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the building’s car park and lift areas.

There are no cameras at the MACC office.

Khalid said the police will soon be interviewing Teoh’s colleagues, friend and family.

A task force led by Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan will conduct the investigations.

Khalid also said two pathologists from the KL Hospital and UM Medical Centre conducted Teoh’s autopsy, adding the Selangor government was given the opportunity to have its own pathologist but none turned up.

In an immediately reaction, a spokesman for the state government said all local pathologists who were approached had already been commissioned by the police. A total of four pathologists examined the body at the crime scene.

The spokesman said the state had to look abroad and had managed to secure the services of renowned pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan from Thailand.

“However the family of Teoh decided against carrying out a second post-mortem and we respect their wishes,” he added.