Teoh's death due to fall: Pathologist

SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Teoh Beng Hock's death was due to various injuries caused by a fall from a high-rise building and not due to strangling or penetration, said Sungai Buloh pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor.

He said the mark on Teoh's neck showed he had suffered from severe haemorrhaging and there were also fractured neck bones.

His testimony refuted the opinion of pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, from Thailand, who suggested that the bruise and injury on Teoh's anus were due to strangling and penetration.

Dr Shahidan, who performed a second autopsy on Teoh, told the inquest into the death of the political aide to a Selangor State Executive Councillor that if Teoh had been strangled, the bruise would be more significant and uneven.

On the mark showing as though Teoh's anus had been penetrated, Dr Shahidan, who was called up as the 31st witness at the inquest into Teoh's death, said it did not show that it was due to beatings, but it could only be due to injury caused by a severe fall.

Dr Shahidan performed the autopsy on Nov 22, last year, observed by Dr Pornthip, who was appointed by the Selangor government, while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) appointed Dr Peter Venezis as their observer.

Dr Pornthip is the director of the Forensic Science Institute, based in Bangkok and placed under the jurisdiction of the Law Ministry of Thailand. He had told the inquest earlier that there was an 80 per cent probability that Teoh's death was due to murder.

Dr Venezis, meanwhile, is a famous pathologist who had investigated Princess Diana's death.

Both pathologists are scheduled to give their testimonies after Dr Shahidan.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had ordered for a second autopsy to be carried out on Teoh on Nov 9 following Dr Pornthip's claim.

Teoh died on July 16 last year after being interrogated by Selangor MACC officers at their headquarters at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam.

Clarifying his opinion on the injury on Teoh's anus, Dr Shahidan said, "The injury on that section was part of the injury caused by the fall, because the fractures and nature (of the injuries) suggested this.

"Because if the injury on the back had occurred much earlier, in my opinion, the type of injury suffered by Teoh could possibly be different.

"In my opinion, if Teoh had been penetrated, it is possible that the falling incident might not be able to be shown because the injury on the anus was rather severe," he said.

In addition, Dr Shahidan who was also asked by the lawyer appointed by the government, Tan Hock Chuan, on his opinion pertaining to the report of the first autopsy performed by two forensic experts, Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar, said he concurred with their report.

"Both of them had done a good job, and if I were given the assignment, it would be difficult for me to give a report as good as theirs. I agree with their autopsy," he said.

Earlier, referring to the report, Dr Shahidan said the second examination performed showed that the deceased sustained multiple injuries consistent with that of a fall from a certain height.

"It also showed that the deceased landed on his feet with forces transmitted to the pelvic bones and the spine leading to fractures and displacement with surrounding muscle contusions.

"There were also injuries on the neck which were most likely formed or produced by the impact of a fall. Their pattern and severity were in keeping with the incident or event," he said.

Meanwhile, earlier in the proceedings, Dr Shahidan said that his involvement in the second autopsy was due to the instruction of Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Abazafree Mohd Abbas on Nov 9, last year.

He had earlier declined to do it although he had been contacted by Tricia Yeoh, from the Selangor Menteri Besar's office and Teoh's family lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo.

The autopsy on Nov 22 began at 12.45 p.m. and was completed two hours later.

Dr Shahidan said Teoh's body was still in good condition then because it had been embalmed, but there were several signs of fungus on the forehead as well as blood clots towards the back of the tongue near the neck, and haemorrhaging on the right side of the brain and at the rear of the brain on the right.

There was also a scratch mark on the back of the waist.

Before performing the autopsy, Dr Shahidan said he had been given a report of the first autopsy, a report on Dr Pornthip's testimony in court earlier and photographs taken at the scene of the incident.

Coroner Azmil fixed March 1 for the resumption of the proceedings.