I did not hear any quarrel, says MACC officer

Mohd Anuar Ismail (left)

SHAH ALAM (Aug 27, 2009) : A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer told the Teoh Beng Hock inquest today he did not hear any argument between Teoh and Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah.

"I would run if I had heard fighting. But I did not," MACC deputy enforcement officer Mohd Najeib Ahmad Walad, the inquest’s 18th witness, said.

Gobind Singh Deo, counsel for the Teoh family, had asked Najeib whether he heard an argument when he was leaving the Selangor MACC office at Plaza Masalam here at 2am on July 16.

In testimony yesterday, MACC investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail said he was told by another officer, Bulkini Paharuddin, that Bulkini overhead Teoh and Tan quarrelling in the MACC toilet at about 2am.

Mohd Najeib (left)

Najeib said that when he left for home at 2.30am, the situation in the office was "normal".

"There were other MACC officers around, some were photostating, some were working ... but there was no shouting," he said.

Earlier, Najeib said Teoh seemed "restless" when the MACC officers visited the office of his employer, Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, on the 15th floor of the Selangor State Secretariat.

Asked by Tan Hock Chuan, the lawyer appointed by the government to assist in the inquest, was Teoh’s demeanor was when he was being interviewed by the MACC officers, Najeib said he was cooperative .

He said Teoh had complied with the MACC’s requests for records of Ean Yong’s allocatio accounts.

"He gave us the papers (documents) for 2009 but we told him we were not looking for this. He said the 2008 papers were in his office," he said.

This testimony was challenged by Gobind, who pointed out that MACC investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail had testified on Wednesday that Teoh had brought both the 2008 and 2009 accounts.

"Anuar said he brought both accounts. You said Teoh only brought the 2009 accounts. Who is correct," asked Gobind to which Najeib maintained that his version of events was accurate.

The inquest continues.