Teoh inquiry:Family won't participate anymore, walks out

Published: Wednesday February 16, 2011 MYT 2:39:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday February 16, 2011 MYT 3:20:38 PM
Teoh inquiry: Family won't participate anymore, walks out
By WANI MUTHIAH

KUALA LUMPUR: The family of Teoh Beng Hock has withdrawn from its participation in the inquiry into the political aide's death.

Teoh's family counsel Gobind Singh Deo told the commission of inquiry into Teoh's death that he had received instructions from the family to withdraw from the inquiry.

The family and its counsels then walked out of the proceedings here Wednesday.

This was after commission chairman Justice James Foong said the inquiry will continue, pending the outcome of the judicial review filed by the family.

Foong also delivered the commission's decision that there was no basis for his recusal from the panel, after Karpal Singh, also a counsel for Teoh's family, him to recuse himself as he was still a sitting judge.

Karpal said this was the first time a sitting judge was chairing a commission of inquiry.

He also protested over the commission's decision to continue with the inquiry, in spite of the family's decision to file a judicial review over some issues.

The judicial review could not be filed Wednesday morning due to a blackout in the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.

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 Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

A Coroner's Court returned an open verdict on the case on Jan 5, following which there were strong calls from various parties to set up an RCI to probe the matter.