Teoh Was Still Alive At About 6am, Says MACC Officer

SHAH ALAM, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Political aide Teoh Beng Hock was still alive at about 6am on July 16, 2009, the day he was found dead, an inquest into his death was told Monday.

Acting senior superintendent of the Selangor branch Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Mohd Anuar Ismail, said a Selangor branch MACC officer, Raymond Nion s/o John Timban had seen Teoh sleeping on the sofa in the office.

He said at about 5am the same day, Teoh also asked a MACC officer, Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus, to get him a drink.

Mohd Anuar, 32, said these information was conveyed to him after Teoh's death, but did not know whether the two officers had spoken to Teoh then.

Teoh, 30, who was political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam on July 16, after giving a statement in an investigation into alleged abuse of state government funds.

Asked by government-appointed lawyer Tan Hock Chuan, who is assisting in the inquest, whether he saw and spoke to Teoh between 5am and 8.30am on July 16, Mohd Anuar said he did not.

"I did see Teoh's bag near the sofa. It was about 9am (on July 16). I took the bag and placed it in my room. Then I asked Hairul Ilham Hamzah (MACC officer) why the bag was there and then both of us went to look for Teoh at the sofa area," he added.

He said it was about 2pm when he saw Teoh's body on the fifth floor corridor of the building.

He also said that Teoh was the key witness in MACC's investigations into alleged abuse of funds by Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen in Selangor. -- Bernama