No prosecution of Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip, Coroner’s Court told

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SHAH ALAM: The Coroner’s Court here was told yesterday that the attorney-general would not prosecute pathologist Dr Pornthip Rajanasunand of Thailand for allegedly leaking to local tabloid Suara Keadilan a forensic report on the late political aide Teoh Beng Hock.Counsel Tan Hock Chuan told the court that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had studied the investigation papers handed over by the police on Thursday and found no strong evidence to support prosecution.

“In the situation, the attorney-general felt that there was no basis to prosecute Dr Pornthip,” said Tan, who is acting for the attorney-general’s team in the inquest into the death of Teoh.

He also said that Dr Pornthip would not be prevented from testifying in the inquest after the inspector-general of police gave the undertaking that the witness would not be detained.

Tan gave this explanation to Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas before the court proceeded with a contempt-of-court   hearing  against two officers of  the Malaysian  Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) who had lodged a police report against   Dr    Pornthip on Jan 1.

The two MACC officers, Raub Ghani, 41, and Hisyam Mohd Yusoff, 30, had lodged a police report over the article “Pornthip confirms Beng Hock was murdered” published by Suara Keadilan on Dec 29 last year.

Teoh’s elder brother, Meng Kee, claimed that the police report was made with the intention to intimidate Dr Pornthip into not testifying on the second post-mortem on Beng Hock, and cited the MACC officers for contempt.

Meng Kee filed a notice of motion on the contempt through his lawyer, Karpal Singh, on Jan 5, and the hearing was set for yesterday.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha suggested that the contempt hearing be discontinued after the attorney-general and the inspector-general of police had given the undertaking not to prosecute or detain Dr Pornthip.

However, Karpal Singh contended that Raub should be cited for contempt as the officer had lodged a police report which was false and without basis.

“The attorney-general himself has said that there is no evidence to support the prosecution of Dr Pornthip. This clearly shows that the MACC officer was irresponsible and intentionally made a false police report. This is a serious offence.

“We want this officer to be cited for contempt of court, prosecuted for the offence and to be sentenced to jail,” said Karpal Singh.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha set Feb 22 to hear the lawyer’s arguments on the need to pursue the contempt proceedings against Raub before resuming the inquest into the death of Beng Hock.

Beng Hock, who was political secretary to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 last year on the fifth floor of Plaza  Masalam   here    after he had given a statement as a witness into the misuse of Selangor government funds, at the Selangor MACC headquarters at the building. — Bernama