New autopsy for Malaysian opposition aide
Updated
A second autopsy has been held on the body of a Malaysian opposition aide who fell to his death from anti-corruption offices where he was being questioned earlier this year.
The body of Teoh Beng Hock was exhumed on Saturday after an independent Thai pathologist had earlier said that marks on Mr Teoh's body suggested he had been beaten and strangled before he fell. Officials had claimed Mr Teoh, who was being interrogated in a probe of opposition-led Selangor state at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had committed suicide.
Presenter: Bo Hill
Speaker: Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Mr Teoh's family
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DEO: The photographs from the first autopsy were reviewed during the inquest and at that point of time we recognised that there was significant marks which were not explained away by the initial pathologist, and of course the theory that was advanced by those pathologists did not appear consistent with some of the injuries, especially those injuries of the neck region, which to use pointed to homicide. So this is the reason why we had these photographs sent to an independent forensic pathologist in Thailand, Dr Pornthip. She looked at them and she came back to us with an opinion that it was her view that there was quite possibly manual strangulation, and that could have possibly led to him being in a semi-conscious state when he fell or he was thrown to his death. So this is what led the family to them agreeing to there being a second post-mortem to confirmed these findings.
HILL: And who conducted the first autopsy and why are their findings questionable?
DEO: The first autopsy was conducted by two doctors; Dr Khairul from Clang(?) hospital, he claims to have a lot of experience. The other pathologist that was called in was Indian national Dr Prashant. I'm just as surprised as you are, when you conduct an investigation into a death in circumstances such as these the first thing that you're going to do is look into the possibility of homicide, and it is very plain in cases like this that you will look to areas such as the neck to see whether there's strangulation, you will look to the body to see beatings, especially when you know that this person has been interrogated by the police. There's certain tactics that are used by the police which involve beating suspects in certain areas which will not reveal marks on the outer side of the body, but if you look beneath the skin you will be able to see trauma, which is consistent assault in cases of police brutality. These areas were all somehow not looked at by these two pathologists, and that's why we decided to get a second opinion which led to there being a second autopsy.
HILL: So the findings from the second autopsy will be part of the inquiry?
DEO: Yes in fact what we did was we brought Dr Pornthip in to join us at the inquest. We called her as a witness before the second autopsy to explain to the coroner the basis for her findings in her opinion. And her reasons are very compelling, in fact she actually presented a photographic demonstration of cases that she had done earlier. This Dr Pornthip she's a very controversial figure, she has done very many controversial cases in Thailand, and she explained that the injuries on Teoh Beng Hock were very likely to indicate homicide, and she justified it using photographs. And it is on the strength of that that the coroner ordered the second autopsy to be conducted.
HILL: And if there is evidence Mr Teoh had sustained serious injuries before he fell from the 14th floor what are the implications for the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission?
DEO: Well I think the Anti-Corruption Commission will then have to answer because it is an agreed fact, it's not in dispute that Mr Teoh was at the Anti-Corruption Commission office at the time at which he fell or he was thrown or otherwise to his death. So they will definitely have to explain if there are pre-fall injuries which we strongly believe they are. And of course as far as the government is concerned, the government has to take full responsibility for what it is that has happened to Teoh. And I think the larger picture to most Malaysians is this, the government says that it's strong in its aim to reduce corruption, and that's the reason why the MACC, or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was setup in January this year. But as of late, especially after the Teoh Beng Hock inquest where we have actually exposed the kind of ill-treatment that suspects are being subjected to, I think the government has to then answer the people here. I mean is that what the government is planning to do? Are they going to, they have established a commission which is going to subject ordinary people, ordinary Malaysians or even foreigners to cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment in order to get confessions or in order to solve so-called commission's crime involving corruption? That is something which I think strikes at the root of every Malaysian, because quite apart from Teoh Beng Hock we also call other witnesses who have come to court to testify as to how it is they were serially tortured by the same officers who dealt with Teoh Beng Hock. Of course the MACC objected severely to this, and we fought it right to the top here in the courts of Malaysia and the courts held that that evidence is very relevant because it would show that this kind of conduct that the officers of the MACC engaged at during interrogation of witnesses.
