Police probe ongoing despite Teoh’s inquest

(Bernama) – Although the inquest into the death of Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock begins tomorrow, the police will continue to accept information which can assist them in their investigation into the case, Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday.

He said the case had been classified as sudden death but he did not rule out the possibility of reclassifying it should there be fresh information.

"Our investigation is ongoing. I urge those who have information which can assist us in the investigation to come forward," he told a news conference on the latest developments in the case.

Khalid said the police had recorded 77 statements, 28 of them from officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and that the police would go through all reports received until late tonight.

He said the police had informed the public prosecutor that they were ready for the inquest unless, of course, there was fresh information which would require them to conduct questioning and further investigation.

Teoh, 30, political aide of Selangor State Executive Councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Section 9 here.

He had been questioned as a witness by the MACC between 5pm on July 15 and 3.45am the following day on the misuse of state government allocations by state executive councillors, at the MACC office located on the 14th floor of the same building.

Khalid said the police had received the toxicology report from the Chemistry Department and were awaiting certain other reports, including those from the pathologists.

He also said that beginning yesterday, 77 people, 28 of them MACC officers, had been subpoenaed, and that the inquest would be held at a magistrate's court here.

It has been reported that Shah Alam High Court deputy registrar Azmil Muntapha Abas had been appointed the coroner.

Khalid said there would be no road closure tomorrow because of the inquest, and expressed the hope that there would be no demonstrations at the court tomorrow.

Asked about the police report by State Executive Councillor Ean Yong against a blogsite which claimed irregularities in the allocation of projects in Sungai Pelek, Sepang, Khalid said the matter had been referred to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for investigation.