SHAH ALAM, Dec 1 — An application for a revision in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest was dismissed by the High Court here which uphelp a coroner’s open verdict, The Star reported.
Justice Abd Rahim Uda said said in his decision today that while there were suspicious grounds the may lead to a conclusion, he has to base the outcome on the law, where suspicion alone did not suffice.
He said the inquest documents had been perused, and found the coroner evaluated testimonies and observed witnesses.
He explained the coroner found insufficient evidence or facts to show Teoh’s death was by suicide. Justice Abd Rahim said there were no testimonies that proved the suspicion.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas returned an open verdict on January 5, saying it was neither a suicide nor a homicide.
Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)headquarters at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 16, 2009. He was being interrogated overnight.
Justice Abd Rahim explained despite missing links in the case, there was no connection to who committed the prefall injuries on Teoh.
The High Court shared the coroner’s decision to rule out homocide since nothing was brought to his attention to implicate a third party.
The judge did concede that the open verdict left much hanging, but he said this was the only option available to the coroner since evidence was absent to support a conclusion.
The Attorney-General’s (A-G) Chambers was represented by DPP Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas.
Gobind Singh Deo (picture), Teoh’s family lawyer, told court reporters he will wait for his client’s instructions before appealing.
This is the second revision application file after the open verdict by the coroner’s court.
Teoh’s family filed the second application on September 30 following the A-G’s Chambers’ withdrawal of the same application on September 22.
The withdrew on gounds it was filed prior to the commencement of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh’s death.
Since the commission delivered its findings the A-G’s chambers felt the revision was unnecessary.
The commission’s 124-page report concluded Teoh was driven to suicide by by aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation by MACC personnel. It was released on July 21.
