We’ve exhausted all legal processes in Beng Hock case, says Muhyiddin

Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says the government has paid the family compensation but they still demand more action.

PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government has exhausted all legal processes to investigate the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, including setting up a royal commission of inquiry and paying compensation to his family.

“We have gone through almost all legal processes, including setting up an RCI and paying compensation. From that perspective, actually, this should no longer be an issue.

“The family is not satisfied even though they have accepted the compensation; they are still urging for more action.

“So I would pass this matter to the attorney-general to make the appropriate decision.”

Yesterday, a group dedicated to seeking justice for Teoh urged the Cabinet and Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to explain why the police are now investigating his death under wrongful confinement and not culpable homicide.

In a statement, the Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy said it was shocked to hear that Selangor police had called Teoh’s sister, Lee Lan, to give a statement under Section 342 of the Penal Code, reportedly under Thomas’ instructions.

Section 342 states: “Whoever wrongfully confines any person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with a fine which may extend to RM2,000, or both.”

Teoh Beng Hock.

The group’s chairman, Ng Geok Chee, said this was a complete deviation from the Court of Appeal judgment in September 2014 which ruled that “one or more unknown persons caused the death of Beng Hock, including Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers”.

He said the group, along with the Malaysian Bar, had recommended that the MACC officers involved be prosecuted under Section 304 for culpable homicide which could see the perpetrators serving up to 30 years in jail.

“The appellate court judgment clearly stated that the injury on Beng Hock’s neck existed prior to his fall, so it is an indisputable fact that Beng Hock was killed in the office of the Selangor MACC,” he said.

In 2009, Teoh, who was the political aide to then-Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after he was interrogated by Selangor MACC in its office on the 14th floor of the same building.

A RCI concluded that Teoh was driven to suicide by the aggressive interrogation methods used by MACC officers. It also blamed three officers for their aggressive methods which it said had violated procedures.

Last July, it was reported that the police would comply with instructions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to conduct further investigations into Teoh’s death. - FMT