A forensic pathologist this morning told the Royal Commisison of Inquiry investigating the death of Teoh Beng Hock said there were no obvious injury to indicate Teoh was in a struggle.
Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim from Klang's Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital told the inquiry panel when questioned by Bar Council lawyer Christopher Leong on whether the bruises underneath the skin of Teoh's throat could be due to external force such as a neck lock.
"Neck lock is unlikely to happen in this case as Teoh would have struggled resulting in neck injuries but there were no obvious injuries found," he said.
"Probably not as there were no red dots in the eye or bruising on the neck. There are no photos of Teoh's lower eye lid taken but I wrote in the draft report no red spot was present in the eyes," he said.
Dr Khairul explained that red dots or petechiae could happen due to burst blood vessels from strangulation.
However, he said that red spot in eyes is not present in all strangulation cases.
Dr Khairul, however, admitted he could determine Teoh's physical condition at the time, whether he was tired or otherwise. He also said he could not remember if he did a dissection or layering of Teoh's neck.
Teoh, 30, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth floor corridor of the MACC office at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam after an overnight interrogation at the MACC office on the 14th floor.
The political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah had been called in to the Selangor MACC office in 2009 as a witness in investigation of misappropriation in the allocation of the assemblyman’s disbursements.
The RCI was formed after an open verdict was returned by the Coroner's Court on Jan 5 following an inquest into Teoh's death.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had, in delivering the open verdict, dismissed suicide and homicide as causes of death.
The Commission chairman is Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen.
Apart from Foong, the commission also comprises oof former Federal Court Judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, Penang Hospital Forensic Medical Department Forensic Pathology Consultant Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh as well as Forensic Psychiatry Consultant and Kolej Universiti Sains Perubatan Cyberjaya Medical Faculty Dean Professor Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.
