80 PER CENT CHANCE OF HOMICIDE IN TEOH'S CASE, SAYS THAI PATHOLOGIST

SHAH ALAM, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Well-known flamboyant Thai pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan told the coroner's court here Wednesday that there was an 80 per cent possibility of homicide and 20 per cent chance of suicide in the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Testifying in English, she said Teoh suffered several injuries before he suffered a fall and died after being questioned by the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC).

She said the injuries on Teoh included a penetration in the anal region, an abrasion on the thigh and strangle bruises on the neck, and they were incompatible with a fall from a height.

The 54-year-old expert, who was asked by the Selangor government to testify on the cause of Teoh's death, said her findings were based on the autopsy reports of Dr Khairul Azman and Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar and post-mortem pictures made available to her.

Teoh, the political aide of Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam after giving a statement in the case on alleged misuse of state allocations at the Selangor MACC office located in the same building.

Dr Porntip is now director-general of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Thailand, and has 27 years experience in the field of forensic science.

The Thai expert came to the court at 8.50am wearing a tight-top, long black skirt and boots, with a funky red and light brown streaks hair-style.

She had also prepared a slide presentation to assist the court to better understand her testimony.

"From the post-mortem picture, I found that there was a contusion on the right side of the neck, which we (pathologists) call a handle bruise, and this injury is compatible with injury caused by manual strangulation," said Dr Porntip who has conducted more than 10,000 post-mortems.

She said the injury was not indicated in the autopsy reports prepared by Dr Khairul Azman and Dr Prashant, which were given to her for examination.

"I also found penetration injury in the anal region which can be caused by inserting an object in that particular part. I have never seen such injury in cases of a fall from a height," she said, pointing to the post-mortem pictures displayed on the slide.

She said she also found an abrasion on an upper thigh of Teoh which could have been caused by beating.

"Another injury which I found was fracture of the skull, which may have been caused by a direct blunt force to the skull prior to the fall," said Dr Porntip, who is the 30th witness at the inquest.

She said it was possible that Teoh was unconscious when he fell from the fifth floor, based on the absence of reaction injuries on the body, and added that the wounds looked like pre-fall injuries, and the severe chest injury was the result of the primary impact on the ground.

When asked by counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, for the Selangor government, as to the abrasion mark found under Teoh's shoe, the forensic expert said: "It looks like the body had been dragged.

"In normal cases of a fall from a height, the shoes would not have left an abrasion mark like this," she explained.

When asked by coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas whether the floor surface could have caused the dragging effect, Dr Porntip replied: "Hard and rough surface."

"However my forensic team did not find anything that may have caused this effect when they examined the 14th floor (MACC office) the last time," she said.

The hearing continues in the afternoon.

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80 Peratus Kemungkinan Homisid Dalam Kes Teoh - Ahli Patologi

SHAH ALAM, 21 Okt (Bernama) -- Seorang ahli patologi terkenal Thai Dr Porntip Rojanasunan memberitahu mahkamah koroner di sini Rabu bahawa terdapat 80 peratus kemungkinan homisid dan 20 peratus kemungkinan bunuh diri dalam kes kematian pembantu politik Teoh Beng Hock.

Ketika memberi keterangan dalam bahasa Inggeris, wanita itu berkata Teoh mengalami beberapa kecederaan sebelum jatuh dan mati selepas disoalsiasat oleh Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (MACC) Selangor.

Beliau berkata kecederaan ke atas Teoh termasuk tusukan di bahagian dubur, kesan melelas di paha dan lebam cekek di leher, dan ini tidak sejajar dengan keadaan jatuh dari tempat tinggi.

Pakar berusia 54-tahun itu, yang diminta oleh kerajaan Selangor untuk memberi keterangan mengenai sebab kematian Teoh, berkata hasil siasatannya berdasarkan laporan autopsi Dr Khairul Azman dan Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar serta gambar-gambar post-mortem yang dibekalkan kepadanya.

Teoh, pembantu politik kepada anggota Exco Negeri Selangor Ean Yong Hian Wah, dijumpai mati pada 16 Julai di tingkat lima Plaza Masalam selepas memberi kenyataan dalam kes mengenai dakwaan salahguna peruntukan negeri di pejabat MACC Selangor yang terletak di bangunan yang sama.