TEOH PROBE: 'Victim may have been dragged’

Rita Jong and Jennifer Gomez

SHAH ALAM: Political aide Teoh Beng Hock could have been dragged before his body was found sprawled on the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam corridor here last month.

This was based on the drag marks on the sole of Teoh’s right shoe, said Selangor forensic division crime scene investigator Chief Inspector Mazli Jusoh.

He was answering a question from counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar on the eighth day of the inquest today.

“There were no marks on Teoh’s left black shoe but the sole of the right shoe had obvious drag marks,” he said.

“There was also a chalky substance on the right shoe but I did not conduct any test on it to find out what it was or where it came from.”

Mazli, 31, also said there was a piece of cream-coloured fabric glued on the sole of the right shoe.

“I did not test this fabric as I assumed it was just part of the shoe,” he said, adding that the only way to find out if it was a foreign material would be to send it back to the shoe manu facturer.

“But I did try to find if there were any of such similar material at the window on the 14th floor and the fifth floor corridor. Mazli said he could not also find i-Corruption Commission office on the 14th floor.

Malik: Do you agree that the cream fabric and the drag marks are important in this case?

Mazli: Yes.

Malik: Is it possible that the drag marks indicated he could have been dragged?

Mazli: No, because if he was dragged from the back, he would have tried to resist using his heels.

Malik: What if he was dragged from the side?

Mazli: That would be possible, but he would still have put up a struggle.

Mazli also told the court that he went to the scene on the day Teoh was found dead and there were no shoe prints on the window frame. (Teoh was believed to have fallen from the window on the 14th floor).

“If there was a print, I would have seen it as the window was dirty and dusty.” he said.

He, however, said it was possible for someone to step out of the window (without stepping on the frame), adding that the window was about one metre off the floor.

He also said when he ar rived on the 14th floor, the place was secured but he did not know when that was done.

Malik: Is there a possibility that before the place was se cured, someone else could have entered the premises?

Mazli: Yes.

Mazli, who is the 13th wit ness in the inquest, said he had gone to the scene and swabbed the window and the sofa which Teoh was believed to have slept on after he was questioned by the MACC officers.

The swabs were later handed to investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal. He also admitted that he did not conduct any test on the fifth floor corridor where Teoh’s body was found and the wall on the outer side of the window to look for evidence.

“I only observed the wall on the outer side of the window but did not conduct any test, he said.

“I also did not conduct any test on Teoh’s body and belt to look for fingerprints.”

The inquest continues today with testimony from a pathologist from Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim taking the stand. Dr Khairul gave evidence on Tuesday but stopped midway as after he was not feeling well. - NST.