Second autopsy held for Malaysian opposition aide
Posted: 22 November 2009 1507 hrs

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KUALA LUMPUR: A fresh autopsy was being held Sunday on the body of a Malaysian opposition aide who fell to his death from anti-corruption offices where he was being questioned, his family's lawyer said.

The body of Teoh Beng Hock was exhumed on Saturday after Thai pathologist Porntip Rojanasunan had earlier said that marks on his body suggested he had been beaten and strangled before he fell.

Officials had claimed Teoh, who was being interrogated in a probe of opposition-led Selangor state at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), had committed suicide.

Porntip, a flamboyant expert well known for challenging authorities in her home country, told an inquest in October that there was an 80 percent chance that 30-year-old Teoh had been murdered.

Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Teoh's family, told AFP: "She will direct the post-mortem to unearth the truth. Her task is to reaffirm her earlier findings."

In a report submitted to the inquest, Porntip said there was evidence that Teoh had sustained serious injuries before he plunged from the 14th floor window of the government building following his questioning until 3:45 am.

His crumpled body was found on July 16 on the roof of an adjacent building.

Porntip also said there was evidence of injuries not consistent with a fall, including a skull fracture and a tear to his anus which was "more of a penetrating injury".

The Thai expert's analysis was based on a study of two government forensic reports.

She challenged their conclusion that Teoh was conscious while falling.

The anti-corruption body says that after being discharged, Teoh -- who was not under arrest -- chose to rest in the building and was seen just before dawn the same day sleeping on a sofa.

He was not seen again until his body was discovered that afternoon.

Gobind said Teoh's body, which was buried on July 20, was not decomposed and was "very much intact."

The inquest, which opened on July 29, will resume on December 9.

- AFP/yb