The family of the deceased Teoh Beng Hock has pointed out several discrepancies in the handwritten note purportedly left by the former DAP exco aide, casting serious doubt on its authenticity and press speculation that it was Teoh's ‘suicide note'.

NONE Senior lawyer Karpal Singh ( right ) said the family members met him yesterday and pointed out discrepancies in the handwritten note.

"Even Teoh's purported signature is far from his signature on documents. I have been handed the note and (accompanying) documents, with a view to obtain the services of a handwriting expert to give evidence in the inquest," said the Bukit Gelugor MP.

"As the attorney-general (AG) had expressed doubts over the note, the hearing of the evidence by investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal should be deferred until the coroner enlists the services of an internationally-reputed expert in handwriting to give evidence."

Karpal said the government should foot the bill, adding that in view of public interest surrounding Teoh's mysterious death, the public will be more than happy to provide the funds to do so in the event the government shirks their responsibility.

"What is important is Teoh's family gets justice and his spirit is appeased," said Karpal.

He said the officer representing the AG chambers who is assisting the inquest wants to call Ahmad Nazri as a witness when the inquest resumes on Aug 18.

He added that the coroner is obliged to call in an expert, in view of the AG's publicly expressed doubts over the note's authenticity.

‘Nazri misses the point'

Karpal also took a swipe at his nemesis Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, who was reported in an English daily asking for people not to politicise the issue and to let the courts decide.

sapp chua soon bui nazri abdul aziz parliament 070708 03 He said Nazri ( left ), the de-facto law minister, as usual missed the point.

"The question is whether the coroner can properly adjudicate on the admissibility of the note in light of the AG's initial doubts about the note, and the bona fide of the police, to have only recently convinced the AG of the authenticity of the note," he said.

Karpal further questioned the mysterious circumstances of the note's discovery.

The note was allegedly recovered by Ahmad Nazri from Teoh's sling bag on Oct 7, two months after the political aide's death.

Karpal said it was also shocking and strange, as well as unacceptable that the bag was only examined, thus leading to the discovery of the note, two months after the incident.

"What any police officer would have done was to examine the sling bag immediately in view of its importance.

"I would have thought this is elementary. You do not require a Sherlock Holmes to have carried out this simple and elementary exercise," he said.

On Monday well into the inquest over Teoh's untimely death, a note purportedly written by Teoh had suddenly been produced by the AG for evidence, under heavy protest from the family lawyers Gobind Singh Deo and Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.

The attorney-general chambers then issued a press statement on Monday evening to clarify its stand over the note.