MACC to pay RM660k for Teoh Beng Hock death

After almost six years of tussle, the government today finally agreed to pay a compensation of RM600,000 to the family of the late Teoh Beng Hock for negligence.

Teoh, who was brought in as a witness by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on July 15, 2009 was found dead the following day after falling from the 14tth floor of the Selangor MACC headquarters in Shah Alam.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, who has been assisting Teoh's family, said the settlement was formalised and agreed upon by both parties at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

"The MACC had made the offer three months ago after the Court of Appeal ruled they was liable for Teoh's death," she told Malaysiakini.

On Sept 5 last year, a three-member Court of Appeal panel had reversed the High Court's open verdict decision, ruling that Teoh's death was "accelerated by unlawful acts by MACC officers".

In today's settlement, the MACC also said it will to police investigations claims of assault and battery against Teoh.

'MACC men main suspects in Beng Hock's death'

The Court of Appeal was told today that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers were the prime suspects in DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's death and their evidence should therefore be treated with caution.

Counsel Gobind Singh, representing Teoh's family, contended that the evidence of independent witnesses during the inquest at the Shah Alam Coroner Court revealed the MACC officers were not telling the truth.

Gobind alleged that there were evidence that the officers had used force against Teoh before he was found dead on July 16, 2009.

He also submitted that the Coroner's Court should not use higher standard proof in reaching for an open verdict in Teoh's case.

"There were sufficient grounds for the Coroner to reach a verdict of death by homicide or person present at MACC office, where the decease was detained overnight," he said before a three-member panel Court of Appeal judges chaired by Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

Two other panel members were Mah Weng Kwai and Hamid Sultan Abu Backer.

What four gruelling interrogations did to Teoh

Four interrogations endured by Teoh Beng Hock caused him to move from being in the low-risk group for suicide into the high-risk group in just 13 hours, and this is detailed in the 124-page report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh's death.

First interrogation (6pm to 10pm on July 15)

After being brought into the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from Selangor state government building, Teoh underwent a so-called "calming therapy" designed by MACC officer Mohd Anuar Ismail.

He was verbally assaulted by a team of officers, numbering six to seven at one time, or others during this period who were told to "chat" with him "to calm him down". They asked repeated questions of his background.The commission is of the view that the method of interrogation was done with a particular objective: to break down Teoh's resistance and to force him to say what the MACC officers wanted.

"The therapeutic treatment designed by Anuar to calm Teoh down through a "chat" at the Pen Mas area must have had a profound effect on him. He had to endure this torture for four hours," the report says."Teoh was reserved, quite most of the time, kept to himself, and only answered questions when asked. Such a description of Teoh's mood fits the characteristics of a person who was being intimidated."

'Fourth interrogation' broke Teoh, postulates RCI

The Teoh Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report claims that the MACC instituted the "fourth interrogation" during the wee hours of July 16, 2009, from 3.30am to 7am, which "must have been the final straw that broke the camel's back".According to the report, after having to endure three strenuous rounds of interrogations, the RCI panel believes that DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock was put through yet another round of intense interrogation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).This is the theory postulated by the RCI to explain how Teoh was pushed to the brink and eventually committed suicide.

"The acts committed by these three persons, namely Hishammudin Hashim, Mohd Anuar Ismail, and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus , were most probably in the form of another round of intensive interrogation of Teoh to coerce him into making a statement that it was Ean Yong Hian Wah who directed him to commit unlawful acts in handling the allocation. "This session must have been very taxing on Teoh, both physically and mentally. He had been deprived of sleep throughout the night and into the morning and had to endure persistent, aggressive and unscrupulous questioning.

RCI: Teoh Beng Hock committed suicide

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Aziz has disclosed that the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock found the political aide had committed suicide.Though the finding do not divert from the official line of explanation by the authorities into the tragedy that occurred in mid-2009, Nazri said the RCI had determined the suicide was the result of continuous and aggressive questioning by officials of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Three MACC officers were found to have continuously used interrogation tactics that were “agresif dan tidak wajar" (aggressive, inappropriate) and therefore in violation of the regulations, Nazri told a press conference in Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.The three officers are former Selangor investigations unit head Hishammudin Hashim, investigation officer Mohd Anuar Ismail and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus. “The MACC had conducted investigations following information that a Selangor executive councillor and assemblyperson was involved in false allocation claims for his own party interest.

Open verdict: 'Teoh's death not suicide or homicide'

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas has returned an open verdict into the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock, whose body was found on July 16, 2009.

He ruled out suicide or homicide as the cause of death.

"There remains unsettled issues on the case of suicide and to find this on guesswork is unacceptable. I rule out verdict of suicide,” he told a packed courtroom.

Azmil said there exists sufficient evidence to show that Teoh's neck injury was pre-fall but "no evidence to confirm that this injury facilitated or contributed to Teoh's demise".

Teoh inquest: 'Goodbye' message in mystery note

A note said to be deceased DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's 'final testament', written mainly in Chinese, has been tendered as an exhibit at the inquest into his death.Speaking to reporters during a recess, Teoh's family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo confirmed that the note is the original copy he had seen last month.

The note was found in Teoh's backpack, left in the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on July 16 last year.

After Teoh death, MACC weighs procedural changes

PUTRAJAYA, May 24 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) complaints committee today proposed installing CCTV cameras in interrogation areas as part of overhauls to investigation procedures following the death of Teoh Beng Hock last year.Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah said they also proposed for the commission to study and adopt interrogation procedures practised by foreign agencies, such as Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
“We have prepared a report on compliance to investigation procedure,” Mohd Noor told reporters today.