‘Selangor MACC initiated probe’
(NST) SHAH ALAM: The order to investigate the alleged graft case involving several Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen came from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy director in Selangor, Hishamuddin Hashim.
The coroner's court was told that Hishamuddin and the head of the Selangor MACC investigation unit, Hairul Ilham Hamzah, instructed investigating officer Deputy Superintendent Mohd Anuar Ismail to initiate investigations.
Last week, Hishamuddin was implicated in a poison pen letter alleging that he was involved in Teoh's death. The court ordered an investigation into the unsigned five-page typewritten letter.
After investigation by police, the court was told on Monday that the allegations in the letter were false.
"I was told to investigate this issue (the graft allegation against PR assemblymen) and to speed up the probe as it was a sensitive issue," Anuar said when questioned by counsel Gobind Singh Deo on the 13th day of the inquest yesterday.
Gobind: At that time, there were also allegations against Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo and his 'big house'. Why didn't you investigate that?
(Khir Toyo owned a palatial bungalow in Shah Alam which was said to have cost millions of ringgit. The DAP had alleged that he could not possibly have afforded the house based on his income as Sungai Panjang state assemblyman).
Anuar: I was told that the case was investigated by Putrajaya MACC.
Gobind then asked Anuar who lodged the report against the assemblymen.
Anuar: I lodged the report based on a note I received from Hishamuddin. The note was prepared by Khairul Ilham.
Gobind: So the MACC initiated investigations on Pakatan Rakyat people?
Anuar: I don't know and I don't care.
He also said it was Hishamuddin who told him to lodge a police report a day after their main witness, Teoh Beng Hock, was found dead.
"I did not call the police when I learnt that Teoh was dead as I panicked," he said, adding that he waited for instructions from his superiors who told him to go to Putrajaya.
Gobind: Your star witness was found dead and you went to Putrajaya? This man was in your custody.
Anuar:Teoh was told to go home (after his statement was recorded at 3.45am on July 16).
Gobind: If you did not do anything wrong, why did you panic? Why didn't you call the police?
Anuar, 32, who was previously a lawyer, said he went through six months of training at a police college in Kuala Kubu Baru before he was assigned to the Selangor MACC.
He was quizzed for more than two hours at the witness stand with Gobind accusing him of lying and charging that he should be held responsible for Teoh's death.
Gobind: You come to court and put on this soft-spoken side, but in fact you are not. As a decent human being, would you not contact the deceased's family members or lawyer when you found him dead?
Anuar also agreed with Gobind's suggestion that he would not have lodged the police report if his superior had told him not to do so.
"I was only instructed by Hishammuddin to lodge the police report the next day."
Gobind: You want to leave the body there? Is that how MACC operates?
Anuar: As I said, I needed further instructions. Besides, there were a lot of people there.
Gobind: And you still wanted to wait? So many things can happen to the body with people there, yet you still wanted to wait?
Anuar: Yes.
He, however, agreed that it ate into his conscience when he saw Teoh's body.
Gobind: You didn't bother to do anything. You just sat in your office with a dead man downstairs. You went to Putrajaya despite the fact that it was eating into your conscience. The only reasonable explanation is that you were trying to hide the fact Teoh died while under your care.
Anuar: I disagree.
The witness also said the interrogation was carried out at night because he was told to speed up investigations. He added that this was also a normal practice.
Gobind, however, accused him of doing this at night as it was a perfect opportunity for the MACC to torture witnesses, to which Anuar disagreed.
Hearing continues today.
