The police officer investigating the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock testified today that he cannot rule out several officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission as suspects in the case.

This was because an eyewitness, also an MACC officer, had spotted them on the 14th floor, where Teoh had been interrogated during the wee hours of July 16 last year, the day he was found dead.

NONE According to ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal, MACC officer Mohd Nazri Ibrahim was allowed to leave after recording the deceased’s statement at 3.45am.

He testified that CCTV footage showed the witness leaving the building at about 4am, but he was seen by another MACC officer, Raymond Nyion, passing the latter’s office at around 5am.

Raymond also saw MACC investigating officer Mohd Anwar Ismail and department director Hishamuddin Hashim pass by.

Anwar had previously testified that he was asleep in the prayer room from 5am to 8.30am, while Hishamuddin said that he saw Teoh at the pantry at around 5.45am.

NONE Teoh, 30, was found dead on the fifth floor service walkway of Plaza Masalam on July 16, 2009, after interrogation by the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission at its headquarters on the 14th floor of the same building the night before.

Asked by Teoh’s family lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, if he had questioned MACC officer Mohd Nazri on the discrepancy with Raymond’s statement, the police officer said that he did not.

“I did not do anything as (witness) Tan Boon Wah told me that he saw the deceased at 6am, unharmed and free to move about,” he testified.

Witness keeps mum

ASP Ahmad Nazri kept mum when it was suggested to him that there was interference in his investigation.

The police officer, who also said he had recorded more than 100 statements for the case, refused to answer when Gobind suggested that his investigation was “insufficient”.

Asked if he did not believe Raymond's statement, he said: “No comment”.

ASP Ahmad Nazri chose to only nod to Gobind's suggestion that the three MACC officers could not be ruled out in Teoh's death, and refused to say "yes" for the record, when requested.

However, questioned by MACC lawyer Abdul Razak Musa, Ahmad Nazri said that no arrest was made in the case, which was investigated for suicide and murder among others, as there was not enough evidence to implicate any individual.

He also told the coroner’s inquest in Shah Alam that there was no trace of blood in all the areas of the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam that were checked, including the toilet, nor was there evidence of dragging on the carpet.

Answering Selangor government counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, the police officer agreed that only the front area of the 15th floor MACC office was examined for traces of blood, as the rest of the area was considered “sensitive area”.