The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) made an application to have information retrieved from mobile phones of several personalities linked to the late Teoh Beng Hock today.

The royal commission of inquiry into the death of the political aide two years ago was informed by MACC counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah that this was to determine Teoh’s “state of mind”.

raja petra shafee abdullah sedition case 150808 01 The anti-graft authority has made a request for the royal panel to order for the possession of mobile phones belonging to Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah, Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah and a contractor only known as Harun.

Muhammad Shafee ( left ) explained that the inquiry should take into consideration the call logs and text messages exchanged between Teoh and the three personalities.

He later added “with great hesitation” that he would also like for the mobile phones of lawyers M Manoharan and Gobind Singh Deo.

Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong was Teoh’s employer, who was being probed for alleged misuse of state funds at the time, and the latter was a witness to the case under investigation by the MACC.

Tan, like Teoh, was taken in as a witness to the Selangor MACC in Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 15, 2009 and had testified that he had spoken to Teoh hours before his death on July 16, 2009.

Teoh was discovered dead at the fifth floor service corridor of the building after being interrogated overnight by MACC enforcement officers.

An earlier inquest into his death came to an open verdict ruling out suicide and insufficient evidence to declare it was suicide.  

hindraf btn 151209 manoharan The contractor, on the other hand, appeared to have sent an invoice via email to Teoh, which was also in question in MACC’s investigation.

Manoharan ( right ) acted as Teoh’s lawyer and was present at Plaza Masalam when the latter was taken as a witness by the MACC on July 15.

It was not clarified why Muhammad Shafee applied to have the mobile phone data of Gobind, but the latter is the head of DAP’s legal bureau and he had also represented Teoh’s family in the inquest.

The royal panel head James Foong said that the commission will consider the request.

MACC officer to surrender mobile phone, laptop

Earlier, Bar Council lawyer Christopher Leong submitted an application for private investigator Michael Squires to take possession of all files, computers and mobile phones of all the MACC officers involved.

MACC’s assistant enforcement officer Arman Alies today testified before the RCI and stated that he had created two investigation diaries pertaining to his interview with Teoh.

He said he had typed out one diary about a couple of days after Teoh’s death and another detailed copy more than a year later.

Arman added that a computer virus had affected his laptop and corrupted the original investigation diary.

As both diaries surfaced, another Bar Council lawyer, Edmund Bon, pointed out several striking discrepancies, which lead to him to conclude that there is a possibility that the MACC officer had “tampered” with the diaries.

Following the exposure of the differences between both the diaries, Bon applied to have the royal commission’s private eye Squires to probe Arman and the diaries. However, the commission has yet to decide on the matter.

Meanwhile, the panel had agreed to grant Leong’s request to sequester Arman’s desktop computer, including his laptop which he testifies to have used to record the diaries, as well as his mobile phone, to Squires.

“We are unanimous in the following view that, with immediate effect, Arman Alies must surrender to the private investigator his computer, including his laptop, which he used from July 14, 2009 till now, with liberty for him to download and retrieve all records,” said Foong.

“(And) that he disclose his handphone number and service provider or providers he used to Squires, for him to investigate his (Arman’s) calls and messages made during the material time,” he added.