Launch fresh probe into Teoh Beng Hock’s death, govt urged

 

Teoh Beng Hock’s family at a Court of Appeal hearing. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A group dedicated to seeking justice for former political aide Teoh Beng Hock has urged the government to form a new investigation team to probe his death.

Group chairman Ng Yap Hwa said the new government must have the political will to tackle this long-standing issue.

“Given that the police has yet to conclude its re-investigation into Teoh’s death, the Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy (TBHTD) urges Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to set up a new investigation team to conduct a thorough investigation,” Ng said in a statement today.

He also urged the home ministry to take the Court of Appeal decision on the case “seriously”.

In 2014, the court ruled that Teoh’s death was a result of, or accelerated by, the unlawful act or acts of persons unknown, including officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Ng claimed that in the past four years, former home ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Hamzah Zainudin have not “exercised due diligence” when probing Teoh’s death and possible human rights violations which he suffered while in MACC’s custody.

He called for the new probe to investigate “all dimensions” of the case, including murder and culpable homicide.

Previous investigations were “neither neutral nor professional” as they were intent on proving that Teoh had committed suicide, he said.

Ng also recalled that Anwar was one of many political leaders who had gathered at the Selangor MACC headquarters 14 years ago to demand justice for Teoh.

“Revealing the truth in Teoh’s death and bringing the perpetrators to book will restore public confidence in the home ministry, the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” 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 had gone into the Selangor MACC headquarters for questioning at its office on the 14th floor.

A royal commission of inquiry formed to probe his death concluded that Teoh was driven to suicide by MACC officers’ use of aggressive interrogation methods.

It specifically identified three officers who, the commission said, had violated existing procedures. - FMT