SHAH ALAM, Sept 1 –  Teoh Beng Hock’s family has demanded copies of “exercise books” that the Attorney-General’s (AG) Chambers wants to introduce at the dead political aide’s inquest this September 20.

Teoh family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said he has requested the AG's Chambers to supply them copies of the books prior to the next hearing.

“We understand there are some exercise books,” said Gobind (picture) at the inquest held today.

“There are some books that we asked for ... and an official translation of the note before the 20th of September,” he told reporters after the hearing, referring to the document that the Attorney-General’s Chambers is trying to tender as new evidence, speculated in the media to be a suicide note.

Gobind added that the books and the mysterious note would be submitted during the next hearing.

He said that the AG’s Chambers however denied them copies of the books prior to the September 20 hearing as they were “sealed” documents.

“In respect of the documents that are sealed, they will give us copies on the 20th (of September),” said Gobind, adding that the AG’s Chambers however agreed to provide them the official translation of the note earlier.

The lawyer was tight-lipped when queried by reporters on details of the exercise books.

“Don’t emphasise on the books,” Gobind told reporters.

“I am not at liberty to say until the IO (investigating officer) comes to court to testify,” he added.

The Puchong MP also said that investigating officer, ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal, who allegedly found the note among Teoh’s belongings two months after his death, would be called to the stand during the next hearing.

“We need to probe further the IO on the circumstances surrounding the sudden appearance of the document, and why it was not formally introduced before,” said Gobind.

He added that document examiner Wong Kong Yau from the Chemistry Department would also be called to testify on September 20.

Gobind and Selangor government lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar had earlier questioned the relevance of the new evidence the AG’s Chambers is trying to tender after Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand said that strict protocol was necessary in handling such evidence.

The Thai forensic pathologist had testified last month that her institute mandated strict protocol in handling evidence like documents, such as conducting fingerprint dusting and DNA testing immediately after discovery.

Teoh’s family had expressed outrage last month with the AG’s Chambers for trying to tender as evidence in the coroner’s court a note it said was penned by him before he was found dead under mysterious circumstances last year.

They said it was highly “suspicious” that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail’s office would choose to bring up the evidence, speculated in the media to be a suicide note, as the inquiry into Teoh’s death winds down, and ten months after it was allegedly found.

They had expressed bewilderment as to why the AG had not immediately sought their help after the note was allegedly found among Teoh’s belongings two months after his death.

Abdul Gani has been put on the defensive after his office gave notice in the coroner’s chambers last month that they intended to introduce the note as evidence.

Gobind had criticised the AG’s attempt of tendering new evidence at the final stages of the inquest as an abuse of the judicial process.

“We need to go through in detail with the IO first before we take a solid position on what it is we want to do,” said Gobind, adding that the cross-examination of Wong and Ahmad Nazri would be continued on October 22 if it could not be completed on September 20.

Dr Pornthip ruled out suicide during her second testimony at the inquest although she declined to repeat her previous assertion that Teoh’s death was 80 per cent homicide.

She has also maintained that the DAP political aide had suffered pre-fall injuries and that he was probably unconscious before he fell.

Malik has pointed out that Teoh was possibly tortured before he died, citing the pathologist’s testimony that the large bruise on Teoh’s neck was caused by trauma or blunt force.

Dr Peter Vanezis, the British forensic pathologist brought in by the MACC to observe Teoh’s second post mortem last year, had also said that Teoh could have suffered pre-fall injuries.

Teoh, who was the political secretary to the Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah of the DAP, was found dead on the fifth-floor podium of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam last July 16 after overnight interrogation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Teoh is suspected to have fallen from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, then state headquarters of the MACC.