The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) over the death of Teoh Beng Hock bulldozed through the statements from 10 witnesses today, a rinse and repeat process from mostly Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers only slightly connected to the case.

This morning, the impatient panel of commissioners demanded only those officials from telecommunication companies who are able to provide accurate and precise explanation to why contents of SMSes and calls are not kept, need to testify.

After three officials from Celcom Axiata Berhad informed the panel that its mobile service provider only stored details of SMSes and not their content, for 30 days, and kept a backup for a year, chief commissioner James Foong insisted that only necessary witnesses testify.

azlan Just as a staff member from Maxis Communications was about to take the oath, Foong stopped him in his tracks.

“Are you the person in-charge? Can you explain why we cannot retrieve the data? If you can’t, don’t take the oath go back and get the person who can tell us,” said Foong.

The witness explained that the person in authority was not able to appear today and he was there as a replacement, but took his leave and told the RCI that he will carry the message to his bosses.

As no other representatives from Maxis and Digi Telecommunication were present, the commissioner called on MACC officers who were involved in the operation on irregular disbursement of state funds.

Seven anti-graft officers took the stand today, a record number of witnesses to testify since the beginning of the proceedings on Feb 14.

The commission instructed conducting officer Awang Amardajaya Awang Mahmud and Bar Council lawyers to skip through repeated statements and “to get right to the point”.

MACC man last to smoke at the window

Khairul Anuar Alias, who was among the assistant MACC officers to testify, said that he was possibly the last person to stand by the window where Teoh had fallen from on July 16, 2009, from the 14th floor of the then-Selangor MACC office. He was found dead on the fifth floor service corridor.

NONE He was questioned the night before by MACC officers on alleged misuse of state funds by his employer.

Khairul told Bar Council lawyer Cheow Wee that he was smoking by the open window around 11pm that night.

Khairul, who is now with the Negri Sembilan MACC, said that he often smoked with colleagues Rehlan, Sharil and Hairul at that window and he shut the window after he was done that day.

“We leave it open after the (centralised) air-conditioner is turned off to let the hot air and smoke flow out,” he told the commission.

The latch on the window was also still intact, said Khairul, unlike the situation in the photograph submitted by the forensic department which showed it was broken.

He added he only saw a man wearing a black jacket, whom he identified as Teoh, twice - once at 10pm and another time at 12.30am.

Cheow also cornered Khairul on several police reports made against him, in which he was positively identified five times.

As he appeared to be smiling when Cheow asked him a question, the lawyer queried him, “What is so funny? Why are you smiling? This is a report of abuse against you”.

The graft buster, however, just denied the claim and said it was fitnah (slander).

NONE Another MACC officer,  Effezul Azran Abd Maulop, who was also accused of abuse by Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah (right), denied using any techniques to intimidate Tan.

Tan had accused Effezul and two other MACC officers of torturing him psychologically when he appeared as a witness on July 15, 2009 and kept overnight for 17 hours till the next day.

According to Tan, while taking his statement, the officers kept him in a dark room and kept switching the lights on and off.

Effezul today explained that the lights in the room were not switched on as there was enough light coming in from outside.

‘Didn’t think to grab another chair’

“Tan was seated on the chair, Bulkini (Paharuddin) was sitting on the floor and I was instructed to help Bulkini to take notes... I was standing and bending forward to write while Tan gave his statement,” he said.

This prompted Foong to ask why he did not “grab another chair from outside”, but Effezul responded that “the thought didn’t strike” him at that point, to which Foong responded in disbelief: “Your explanation is not reasonable... you mean you didn’t go take a chair? If you say it is a technique of interviewing I understand but to say that you were standing and didn’t think to get chair... it doesn’t make sense”.

But Effezul kept mum and said that he and Tan took turns to sit whenever he got tired standing.

Among other MACC officers to testify were Mohd Fauzi Maslan, Mohd Najeib Ahmad Walat and Fauzi Shadollah as well as Mohamad Azhar Abang Mentaril and Sachichanandan Krishnasekar.

The inquiry resumes tomorrow with Sachichanandan on the stand.