Teoh Beng Hock

SHAH ALAM (July 19, 2009): The handphone of secretary Teoh Beng Hock whose body was found on Thursday at the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters is in police possession and is being checked by investigators for clues in solving the case.

It is learnt that Teoh's handphone which his colleagues from the DAP had demanded from the Selangor MACC after the incident but appeared to be missing was handed over to police along with his other belongings by a MACC investigating officer who had earlier recorded a statement from the deceased on Friday.

Selangor police chief DCP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed this but declined to elaborate.

Although the MACC had said that Teoh was merely a witness to the case and not a suspect, it did not say why they had taken away and kept his belongings including his handphone.

This evening, a police forensics team re-visited the Selangor MACC office and spent hours gathering more clues.

Police also have in their possession the video footages of CCTVs at the MACC office elevator area and the building carpark.

It is learnt that based on their early findings, investigators who have not ruled out foul play in the case though it has been classified as sudden death believe Teoh fell from the 14th floor as he had never left the office.

It is also learnt that police investigators from the Shah Alam district police headquarters are working round the clock to get to the bottom of the case and to date 27 people, mostly Selangor MACC personnel have been questioned between 8am and 6.30am daily since the incident.

Khalid Abu Bakar

Meanwhile, the federal Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said today the premises of the Selangor office at the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Section 9 was not fitted with close circuit TV (CCTV), as it was a temporary office.

MACC deputy commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohammad said they were considering to fit CCTVs at the Selangor MACC two weeks ago after being advised by the commission's Complaints Committee, which is an independent body comprising five members led by a former Appeal Courts judge.

He said the committee had advised them following several incidents where witnesses who had given their testimonies in a case voluntarily had made allegations of doing so under duress due to pressure from interogations.

He said the commission's headquarters in several other states such as Negri Sembilan and Penang had CCTVs in their buildings.

Abu Kassim said this when asked why the Selangor MACC was not installed with CCTVs which would have helped in the probe in Teoh's death.

He said the Selangor MACC was waiting for its headquarters building in Section 16 also in Shah Alam to be built.

Abu Kassim said the federal MACC was also carrying out its own investigations into the incident which will be led by the commission's director of Professionalism and Excellence and the findings will be submitted to its Complaints Committee.

He said his personnel have been called in by police for questioning and are giving their full cooperation in the investigation.

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