Remove member who may be linked to Teoh’s case, EAIC urged

The Enforcement Agency In­­tegrity Commission (EAIC) has been urged to remove one of its members from its task force on custodial deaths if it is proven that he was involved in the fatal investigation of political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

DAP members of parliament Steven Sim Chee Keong and Zairil Khir Johari queried whether Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim - whom they claimed was the sole investigating officer on the task force – is the same person implicated in Teoh’s death in 2009.


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Lock-up deaths: Cops to propose inquiry into Japanese’s death

Police will propose that there be an inquiry into the death of Japanese national Nobuhiro Matsushita who died while in a lock-up last week.

Selangor deputy police commissioner Datuk S. Thaiveegan said police would submit their investigation papers to the Deputy Public Prosecutor's office and suggest that the inquiry be held.

“It is the absolute discretion of the DPP's office to decide on this,” he said yesterday. “However, we feel an inquiry is the best solution.”

Thaiveegan said police ruled out foul play in the 33-year-old's death and had classified the case as sudden death.

“However, the mystery still remains over how he entered the country,” he said. “We are cooperating with the Japanese Embassy to dig deeper into the matter and to arrange for his body to be claimed by his family.”

Guan Eng: Death of Japanese man gives ‘international relevance’ to IPCMC calls

The demand for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) now has “international relevance”, Lim Guan Eng said today, pointing to the latest lock-up death involving a Japanese detainee - the fourth in two weeks.

The DAP secretary-general said the prevalence of such deaths, regardless whether they were not at the hands of the police, has tarnished Malaysia’s international reputation and smeared the image of the police force.

“How many more must die before the tragedy of custodial deaths are stopped?” Lim said in a statement here.

“Only the establishment of the IPCMC can prevent needless custodial deaths and it would be very sad that a Japanese detainee must die in police custody before moving the BN federal government to act,” he added.

The Penang Chief Minister added that the public would continue to stay suspicious at the police and their interrogation methods unless they are not only assured to be clean but are also “seen to be clean”.

In the latest tragedy behind bars, Nobuhiro Matsushita, 33, was found dead at 4am yesterday in his cell at the USJ8 police station lock-up.

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Umno blogs use sex video to attack Customs ahead of Sarbaini verdict

Umno-linked blogs have released a sex video in an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of Customs officers ahead of Monday’s verdict in the inquest into the death of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed.

The video — which appears to have been secretly recorded — shows a Malay man engaging in sex with a Caucasian woman in what looks like a hotel room.

RCI head: Agong to decide if report to be made public

Only the Agong can decide whether the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock can be made public.

Panel head James Foong said this after submitting the RCI's 124-page report to the Agong at his palace this morning.

Another copy will be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya this afternoon.

The five panel members presented their findings at 10.30am to Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who had a 30-minute audience with them.

The RCI commenced gathering evidence from Feb 14, 2011 and ended its proceedings on May 18, 2011.

A total of 70 witnesses testified, and 19,200 notes of proceedings were recorded, said Foong.

Teoh Beng Hock exhumed for second autopsy - old news-

Teoh Beng Hock's body was exhumed Saturday for a second autopsy at the Sungai Buloh Hospital. The exhumation had been ordered by the inquest into the political aide's death, after a Thai pathologist testified that his likely cause of death was homicide and not suicide.

Inquest into Ahmad Sarbani's death July 4-15

An inquest is to be held from July 4 to 15 into the death of Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed in April while under the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The inquest will be heard before Magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani who will sit as the coroner, according to a displayed notice signed by her.

Ahmad Sarbani, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs Office, was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor of the Federal Territory MACC office in Jalan Cochrane here on April 6.

He had been released on bail after his arrest during a graft probe involving Customs officers and had gone to the MACC office on April 6, apparently to change his statement.

MACC officer's car splashed with red paint

The car of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Special Investigations Division Enforcement senior assistant superintendent Mohd Yussof Zakaria was splashed with red paint at a parking lot near his home in Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur.

He learnt of the incident at 7.15am Monday when he went to the parking lot of the Bandar Tasik Selatan Low-Cost Apartment to leave for his office in Putrajaya.

The paint was splashed on driver's side of the car windscreen.

Mohd Yussof lodged a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters at 10am.

A police spokesperson confirmed the report.

Police file application for inquest in Ahmad Sarbani’s death

: Police filed an application on Friday for an inquest to determine the circumstances leading to the death of Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed while in the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Teoh RCI keeps submissions secret to avoid trial by media

The Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) will not release lawyers’ submissions now pending its report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to prevent a trial by media.

The RCI investigating Teoh’s high-profile death is to submit its report to the King by June 25, almost two years after the DAP political aide mysteriously fell to his death outside the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in ShahAlam.


“We want to avoid the media picking perhaps juicy parts and not getting the gist of it,” said MACC lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at a joint press conference today with Bar Council lawyer Christopher Leong, conducting officer Amarjeet Singh and RCI secretary Datuk Saripuddin Kasim.

“It’s to avoid a trial by media until a proper decision is made,” added Shafee.

Saripuddin said it was a unanimous decision made at a lawyers’ meeting with the commissioners earlier today.

Analyse suicide note again, says RCI

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock has decided to send the “suicide note” allegedly written by Teoh to the Chemist Department to be analysed again.

TBH inquiry: 'Suicide note' to be re-examined

The suicide note purportedly written by Teoh Beng Hock will be re-examined to decipher certain words which had been cancelled out, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh's death decided today.

The commission, which reconvened briefly, allowed the May 11 application by Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) lawyer Datuk Seri Mohd Shafee Abdullah to re-analyse the alleged suicide note so that the cancelled out words could be read.

The note in question was discovered almost a year after Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor landing of the then-MACC office at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, on July 16, 2009.

"When one looks at the suicide note, (the interpreter) was able to read what was very vigorously erased by the writer," said Shafee.

Shafee said the words could be made out when held up against a bright light.

Emotional testimony in Teoh Beng Hock inquiry

"He was the man I would be with for the rest of my life. I have taken him as my future."

It was an emotional testimony from Soh Cher Wei, 30, who took the stand today as the 66th witness in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Soh broke down when questioned by Commissioner Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom on her relationship with Teoh, with whom she had been engaged to marry.

"He was a good person. He loved me," she said, after Hatta asked her what she liked about Teoh.

She said they never had the chance to name their child after they found out she was pregnant early July last year. Their wedding dinner had also been booked for Oct 3, 2009.

Teoh treated as a suspect, says Ean Yong

Teoh Beng Hock was treated as a suspect, Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh’s death.

Teoh, who was Ean Yong's political aide, was taken into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s 14th floor offices at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, on July 15 before being found dead on a fifth floor landing of the building the next day.

Teoh was escorted from the State Secretariat building by two MACC officers, said Ean Yong, the RCI’s 65th witness, when responding to question from RCI chairman Tan Sri James Foong.

Replying to another question by Commissioner Datuk T. Selventhiranathan, Ean Yong said MACC officers merely told him it was for investigations. Teoh was a witness in the MACC's investigations of Ean Yong for misappropriating his assemblyman's funds.

Co-worker: Teoh not one to commit suicide

Mandy Ooi Haw Voon says Teoh Beng Hock had a strong personality


Political aide Teoh Beng Hock was not the type of person who would take his own life.

His colleague Mandy Ooi Haw Voon told the Royal Commission of Inquiry that Teoh was a strong person who would confront any person for any wrong-doing.

"He had no enemies, was not in debt and he never had a big quarrel with anyone," she said when questioned by conducting officer Awang Ardamadajaya Awang Mahmud.

Teoh inquiry: MACC officer denies SMS exchange

A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Wednesday denied an SMS exchange with a colleague two days after the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Klang MACC Asst Supt Zulkelfly Aziz told the Commission of Inquiry investigating the death of the political aide that the handphone involved was not his.

He made the denial when for the first time, the commission allowed the witness to make a call in the middle of the inquiry proceedings.

The 15-minute exchange from 11am was to confirm the contents of the SMS exchange, which lawyer Cheow Wee of the Bar Council claimed was sent by Zulkelfly on July 18, 2009 to MACC investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail.

Cheow Wee then read out a SMS text to Zulkelfly whose nickname is 'Ustaz Zul'.

Telco doesn’t store SMS contents, Teoh RCI told

Investigators were unable to go through text messages of several anti-graft officers as the contents were not kept by the mobile service provider, Celcom Axiata Berhad, the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) was told today.

RCI chairman Tan Sri James Foong said Celcom had informed the commission that it did not keep information on the contents of short messaging system (SMS) missives, as well as the calls made by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers around the time of Teoh’s death in 2009.

“(For SMSes), we store the date, time and mobile number of the sender and recipient,” said Norizal Hasim, a senior manager in Celcom, at the inquiry today.

“In the current system, we don’t keep the content of SMSes,” he added.

Norizal, 38, said the SMS details as mentioned are stored for 30 days before they are sent to the billing department.

RCI exposed MACC's poor investigation techniques

Sarbaini’s kin waiting for A-G to act family wants to know the ‘real story’ behind his death plunge.

Ahmad Sarbaini’s family wants to know the ‘real story’ behind his death plunge.


Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed’s family is waiting for the Attorney-General’s next move before deciding whether to proceed with legal action over the Customs official’s death.

Family lawyer Ghazali Mohd Ramli said any further action would depend entirely on how the A-G planned to handle the case, which now lies in the latter’s hands.

“Appropriate action will be taken once the A-G decides what to do with the police investigation report.

“At this point, I still cannot reveal anything. Furthermore, I do not know the contents of the report... so let’s wait for the A-G’s response first,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

He declined further comment, saying that he did not want to interfere in the police investigation.

TBH inquiry extended till June 25

The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh Beng Hock’s July 16, 2009 death has been extended to June 25, announced RCI chairman Tan Sri James Foong today.

He said notification of the two-month extension came through a letter from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin had given consent to this.

The RCI, originally slated to finish on April 25, has heard testimony from 38 witnesses thus far, including Shah Alam Criminal Investigation Department chief DSP Kamaruddin Ismail, the RCI’s 37th witness.

Kamaruddin said more than 20 investigation papers existed concerning officers of the Selangor branch of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).