Federal judge heads RCI into Teoh's death

Published: Wednesday January 26, 2011 MYT 5:04:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday January 26, 2011 MYT 6:36:23 PM
Federal judge heads RCI into Teoh's death

PUTRAJAYA: Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong will head the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Teoh Beng Hock case.

The scope of reference of the commission are:
Tan Sri James Foong will head the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).

* Whether or not there was any impropriety in the conduct of the examination of Teoh in the course of an investigation into a Shah Alam report 0052/2009 by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in relation to its standing orders and practices and to recommend any appropriate action, where necessary, and

* To enquire into the death of Teoh and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to his death.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in a statement Wednesday that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin had consented to the setting up of the commission.

"The commission will have three months from the date of its appointment to complete its inquiry. The report is be submitted to the King," he added.

The other members of the panel are former Federal judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, ex-Court of Appeal judge Datuk T. Selventhiranathan, Penang Hospital’s senior consultant forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh and Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science’s dean and consultant forensic psychiatrist Prof Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.

Datuk Saripuddin Kasim, the director-general of the Legal Affairs division of the Prime Minister's Department, is the secretary of the commission.

Senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh and deputy public prosecutors Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud and Kwan Li Sa have been appointed as the conducting officers for the commission.

Teoh, who was political secretary to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, after being questioned by the Selangor MACC.

A Coroner's Court returned an open verdict on the case on Jan 5.

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