Cops strongly criticised.
The family of the late political aide Teoh Beng Hock has strongly criticised the police’s reinvestigation of his case, particularly the repeated focus on questioning his relatives instead of the MACC officers implicated in his 2009 death.
Speaking at a press conference, his sister, Lee Lan, expressed frustration that each time authorities reopen the case, they summon family members and civil society groups for statements rather than holding the responsible officers accountable. This continues despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling that Beng Hock’s death resulted from unlawful actions by unidentified individuals, ruling out both suicide and accidental death.
“We are deeply perplexed and outraged. Why do the police summon us for questioning every time they reopen the investigation? Is this an attempt to harass us into giving up? Or is it an effort to shift blame onto the victim and revive the suicide theory, which the Court of Appeal has already dismissed?
“We firmly reject any further summons for statements. Every possible statement from the Teoh family has already been recorded. We urge the police to respect the law and the court ruling, immediately arrest those named in the Court of Appeal’s judgment and ensure all offenders, including MACC officers, are held accountable.
“We call on the police to thoroughly study the Court of Appeal’s ruling and investigate the case based on the findings of Justices Hamid Sultan and Mah Weng Kwai,” she said.
Key issues highlighted
The Teoh Beng Hock Foundation for Democracy outlined ten critical issues cited in reports by the Court of Appeal, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), and the Bar Council’s observation of the RCI proceedings. Among them:
- An alleged fourth interrogation session at approximately 3:30 am on 16 July 2009, which may have led to Beng Hock’s death.
- Whether police thoroughly investigated the MACC’s interrogation methods and questioned implicated officers, including then-Selangor deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim, investigating officer Anuar Ismail, and officer Ashraf Mohd Yunus.
- Whether all relevant MACC officers were investigated concerning a bruise on Beng Hock’s neck, which forensic findings suggested was caused by blunt force trauma before his death.
- Whether MACC officers present at Plaza Masalam on 15 and 16 July 2009 were retested for a potential match with the unidentified male DNA found on Beng Hock’s belt.
- Whether witnesses Sivarasan Thangaveloo and Tan Boon Wah, who previously testified about violent treatment by MACC officers, were reinterviewed to identify those involved.
- Whether discrepancies in the MACC officers’ statements have been thoroughly examined.
- Why the Klang MACC appeared to have knowledge of Beng Hock’s death at 7:00 am, even though his body was only discovered at 1:30 pm by a janitor.
- Whether police have investigated the deletion of communication records between MACC officers after Beng Hock’s death and if there are efforts to recover these records and other deleted electronic data.
- Whether police plan to involve independent forensic, IT, and international criminal investigation experts.
Call for transparent investigation
Lee Lan urged the police to change their investigative approach, ensuring it aligns with the Court of Appeal’s findings. She called for the engagement of independent forensic and technological experts to ensure a thorough and unbiased probe. Additionally, she demanded that authorities release a detailed report outlining their plan to address the family’s concerns.
Teoh Beng Hock, an aide to then-Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead after an overnight interrogation at the Selangor MACC headquarters in Plaza Masalam. While a 2011 RCI concluded that aggressive interrogation had driven him to suicide, the Court of Appeal in 2014 ruled that his death resulted from unlawful acts, including those committed by MACC officers.
On 21 November last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the police to complete their investigation within six months. This ruling followed an application for judicial review by Beng Hock’s parents, which was granted by appeals court judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. In response, the police revisited the crime scene to create a 3D reconstruction and announced plans to recall witnesses.