Political aide Teoh Beng Hock was still alive at about 6am on July 16, 2009, the day he was found dead, an inquest into his death was told today.

Acting senior superintendent of the Selangor branch Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Mohd Anuar Ismail, said a Selangor branch MACC officer, Raymond Nion s/o John Timban had seen Teoh sleeping on the sofa in the office.

He said at about 5am the same day, Teoh also asked a MACC officer, Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus, to get him a drink.

Mohd Anuar, 32, said these information was conveyed to him after Teoh's death, but did not know whether the two officers had spoken to Teoh then.

NONE Teoh, 30, who was political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam on July 16, after giving a statement in an investigation into alleged abuse of state government funds.

Asked by government-appointed lawyer Tan Hock Chuan, who is assisting in the inquest, whether he saw and spoke to Teoh between 5am and 8.30am on July 16, Mohd Anuar said he did not.

"I did see Teoh's bag near the sofa. It was about 9am (on July 16). I took the bag and placed it in my room. Then I asked Hairul Ilham Hamzah (MACC officer) why the bag was there and then both of us went to look for Teoh at the sofa area," he added.

He said it was about 2pm when he saw Teoh's body on the fifth floor corridor of the building.

He also said that Teoh was the key witness in MACC's investigations into alleged abuse of funds by Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen in Selangor.

Mohd Anuar said that as the key witness and not a suspect, Teoh was not detained and allowed to go home after investigation was completed at 3.45am.

"I gave the instruction (for Teoh to be allowed to go home) to Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim (MACC investigating officer). Then minutes later, Mohd Nadzri came back to me and told me that Teoh wanted to rest," he added.

He said Teoh was not threatened or treated harshly during the investigation.

He was cooperative

On Teoh's reaction when being questioned by MACC officers (Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus), Mohd Anuar said he was informed by the affected officers that Teoh could not answer a few questions pertaining to documents which were obtained from his (Teoh) computer.

He said he was informed by Mohd Nadzri that Teoh cooperated when his caution statement was taken.

Mohd Anuar surprised the court when he said he was always in the office and that since July 16, had not been home for three days.

When Tan asked him why he did not go home, Mohd Anuar said: "That was normal. A normal practice".

Asked why there were no remarks in his diary for July 15 and 16, he said it was a book for overtime claims and not a diary to record investigations.

"I did not use my own car on those dates to make a claim and I also could not claim overtime," he added.

Hearing before Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas continues tomorrow.

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- Bernama