SHAH ALAM: Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail has filed an application to intervene in the contempt proceedings against Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas would hear the application yesterday.
He also fixed May 20 to hear the expert views of Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan, who is hired by the Selangor government.
He was scheduled to deliver his decision yesterday afternoon on whether Nazri should be cited for contempt for calling Dr Pornthip a “liar” after she said she was under political pressure not to testify.
However, senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh made a surprise appearance in court and said he had just filed an application for Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to intervene in the matter and that should be heard first.
Karpal Singh, acting on behalf of Teoh’s brother, Meng Kee, strongly objected and urged the court to continue and not entertain 11th hour applications.
“Why the sudden desire of the AG to intervene in this proceedings since the application (contempt of court) was made two weeks ago and he is intervening for whose interest in this matter?” he said.
On April 16, Meng Kee filed an ex-parte application to cite Nazri for contempt.
Karpal Singh asked the coroner to direct Amarjeet Singh to provide a sealed copy of the AG’s application to be served on him yesterday in order to know what the application was all about.
He also wanted to cross-examine Gani if he turned up.
Yesterday’s proceedings opened with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecution chief Datuk Abdul Razak Musa revealing that British forensics expert Prof Dr Peter Vanezis lodged a police report Monday night after receiving an intimidating email following his testimony Monday.
Dr Vanezis wrapped up his testimony maintaining his views that Teoh was fully conscious and that he had no pre-fall injuries or was strangled before his death.
He maintained his findings during further questioning by counsel Gobind Singh Deo, for Teoh’s family, and Selangor state-appointed counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.
Dr Vanezis, who is engaged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and Dr Pornthip observed the second post-mortem of Teoh’s exhumed remains last November after Dr Pornthip testified that Teoh’s death was “80 per cent homicide”, based on pictures of the death scene and injuries sustained by Teoh.
The 30-year-old Teoh was found dead on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam here on July 16 last year, after being interrogated overnight at the MACC office, located on the 14th floor of the same building, as part of investigations into alleged irregular disbursement of state funds.
Asked by Malik what evidence he took into consideration when he formed the opinion that Teoh landed on his feet, Dr Vanezis said: “He had spine injuries, pelvis injuries.
“There were no wrist injuries, but there were injuries upwards.
“Both feet had severe ankle injuries.” He added that usually, from a low fall, there would be wrist fractures.
He said based on the injuries and the way the force was transmitted, he was happy to rule out that Teoh was unconscious. — Bernama