RCI Wants Psychiatrists To Interview Teoh’s Family
(Bernama) – KUALA LUMPUR — The Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock today ordered Teoh’s family members be interviewed by three psychiatric experts to determine the state of mind of the political aide prior to his death.
The three psychiatric experts, Dr Bada’iah Yahya of Hospital Permai Johor; Dr Nor Hayati Ali, from the Health Ministry, and director of Hospital Permai Johor, Dr Benjamin Chan, are needed to assist the commission to identify Teoh’s character and behaviour.
Besides the family members, commission chairman, Federal Court judge James Foong Cheng Yuen, also ordered the psychiatric experts to interview Teoh’s fiance, Soh Cher Wei, and his media counterparts because Teoh was formerly a press secretary and used to work with the media people.
“Soh is an important witness in this case and so far, no statement has been obtained from her. So we want the experts to interview to get the information and the commission is confident that the statement can assist investigation,” he added.
Foong said that although Teoh’s family had refused to be interviewed by psychiatric experts before, the commission would convince them to.
Prior to this, Teoh’s father, Teoh Leong Hwee, mother Teng Shuw Hoi, brother Teoh Meng Kee and Soh had refused to be interviewed for psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Selayang as their lawyer was not allowed to accompany them during the interview.
Teoh, 30, who was the political aide of Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after being questioned overnight at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the 14th floor.
Earlier, lawyer Christopher Leong, from the Bar Council, requested that Dr Benjamin be allowed to interview Teoh’s family members and to work with Dr Bada’iah and Dr Nor Hayati in preparing the report on the interview.
Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) supported the request.
In today’s proceeding, a forensic expert from Hospital Sungai Buloh, Dr Shahidan Mohamed Noor, and an investigating officer from the Shah Alam police, Inspector Mohd Zulaimi Mohd Zubir, testified.
Besides Foong, the commission members comprise former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, former Appeal Court judge T. Selventhiranathan, Penang Hospital’s forensic pathologist Dr Bhupinder Singh and the Dean of Cyberjaya Medical Science College University, Professor Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak ordered the setting up of the commission on Jan 25 this year to investigate into Teoh’s death after the Coroner’s Court returned an open verdict on the case.
(Bernama)
