WHAT IS PUTRAJAYA DOING? EVEN COURT OF APPEAL HAS FOUND ‘ELEMENTS OF FOUL PLAY’ – MAHATHIR URGED TO SUSPEND MACC OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR BENG HOCK’S DEATH

KUALA LUMPUR – The government has been urged to suspend five Malaysian Anti–Corruption Commission (MACC) officers over the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock a decade ago.

The Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy, a non–government organisation fighting to get him justice, made the call in a memorandum that was submitted in Parliament yesterday – the 10th anniversary of Teoh’s death.

The group also called for the five to be charged for murder or culpable homicide, and want action taken against the “mastermind” of the MACC operations 10 years ago that led to Teoh’s death.

Teoh, who was a journalist before he became an aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Hong Hean Wah, was found dead at the Selangor MACC headquarters on July 16, 2009.

He had been held for questioning at the MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam. He was later found dead on the fifth–floor of the same building.

Ngeow Chow Ying, secretary of the trust, expressed frustration that there had still been no new development after the change of government.

“The government promised to reopen the case but until now, there has been no progress,” she said.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh, who is also counsel for the Teoh family, said the attorney–general had given orders that investigations into Teoh’s death be continued under Section 342 of the Penal Code.

Ramkarpal told a press conference at the Parliament lobby that the case should be investigated under Section 302 for murder or 304 for culpable homicide.

“I think that is fair given that the findings of the Court of Appeal had confirmed there were elements of foul play,” he said.

Former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri had previously declared that there was “no criminal element”.

Ramkarpal also urged Inspector–General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador to reopen investigations into the case.

DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai pointed out that the Court of Appeal had ruled in September 2014 that more than one person had caused Teoh’s death when he was in MACC custody.

He expressed hope that the government, police and MACC would make a commitment to reinvestigate the case.

– Sundaily