"Saya bekerja untuk hak simati, bukan kerajaan Selangor" - Dr Pornthip

Pornthip: I work for rights of the dead, not Selangor government

SHAH ALAM, Aug 18 — As Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand faced relentless questions today about her qualifications and her testimony, the Thai forensic expert delivered what could perhaps be the line that fortifies her credibility as an expert witness in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

“You have to understand. I work for the rights of the dead, not the Selangor government,” she told the Coroner’s Court, drawing applause from a packed gallery, after Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) lawyer Datuk Abdul Razak Musa had questioned her qualification.

She had earlier maintained that she was sure Teoh’s death last year was not a suicide, but she declined to repeat her previous assertion that it was 80 per cent a homicide.

Dr Pornthip (picture, right) was testifying for the second time at the inquest into DAP political aide Teoh’s death. Teoh is suspected to have fallen from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, then state headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Before his body was found on a fifth floor landing he had been questioned overnight by the MACC.

Earlier today in court, Dr Pornthip testified that she disagreed with the findings of Dr Peter Vanezis, the British forensic pathologist brought in by the MACC to observe Teoh’s second post mortem last year. Dr Pornthip was also an observer.

Later, under questioning from Abdul Razak, who had suggested she was attacking the MACC with her testimony, she also told the court her university was among the top five in Asia when the MACC lawyer questioned her qualifications.

After telling Abdul Razak that she was working for the rights of the dead, she added that “my objective is to help the dead.”

Undaunted, Abdul Razak asked the Thai pathologist why she did not consider what transpired the night before Teoh was found dead.

“It is not important for the autopsy,” she said.

Asked again by Abdul Razak if she considered the point that there was no eye-witness to the pre-fall injury she asserted Teoh had sustained, Dr Pornthip answered that such injuries could be proven by scientific means.

At one point, Dr Pornthip even asked Abdul Razak if was indeed a lawyer, drawing more laughter from the gallery. Abdul Razak said he had been a lawyer for 24 years.

In what became a battle of wits, Abdul Razak also suggested that Dr Pornthip kept changing her position and “the goalpost.”

Abdul Razak then went on to point out to the inconsistencies of Dr Pornthip’s findings with those of Dr Vanezis and other local doctors.

But Abdul Razak also wrongly asserted that Pornthip spoke of strangulation today. But she denied citing strangulation as the cause of Teoh’s neck injury.

“I said that it was a pre-fall injury,” said Dr Pornthip.

She had earlier testified that the bruises around Teoh’s neck were caused by blunt force or trauma that was stronger than manual strangulation.

Abdul Razak pointed out that the other four doctors found no evidence of strangulation and asked Dr Pornthip if Teoh could have strangled himself.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo immediately stood up and asked Abdul Razak to demonstrate this, causing the gallery to erupt in laughter.

Abdul Razak also did not seem to grasp the difference between being unconscious and being dead.

He pointed out to Dr Pornthip that she had earlier testified that Teoh was alive at the time of the fall, to which she agreed.

“I agree he was alive, I never said he was dead,” she said.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had to explain to Abdul Razak that the issue was about Teoh’s state of consciousness.

The finding of new evidence, purportedly a note written by Teoh, was also raised at the inquest today.

Gobind had asked Dr Pornthip about the significance of any notes found at a crime scene.

She said it was significant and police should do forensic investigation and collect fingerprints and conduct DNA testing.

She added that this was protocol for the crime scene investigator and that it should be done immediately after discovery.

Gobind asked if such evidence was still reliable one year after it was found.

“It depends on what kind of scientific evidence there is. I won’t rely on handwriting only. It should be based on fingerprints and DNA.”

Dr Pornthip concluded her testimony today and the inquest was fixed for mention on September 1.

Gobind informed the court that they were consulting their own experts on the issue of the note and needed time to determine if they would object to the introduction of the new evidence. - TMI

Pornthip akan datang jika keselamatan terjamin

Pakar patologi Thailand, Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand berkata beliau sanggup memberi keterangan pada inkues Teoh Beng Hock jika ada jaminan keselamatannya daripada kerajaan Malaysia.

"Saya sanggup datang jika ada jaminan rasmi daripada kerajaan Malaysia dan Pejabat Peguam Negara berhubung keselamatan dan juga kebebasan saya dalam melaksanakan tugas profesional sebagai seorang saksi bebas dalam kes Teoh,” katanya kepada Malaysiakini, semalam.

Ahad lalu, Pornthip mendedahkan beliau terpaksa menarik diri daripada menghadiri perbicaraan inkues itu kerana mendakwa terdapat 'ganguan politik' daripada kerajaan Malaysia.Menurutnya, beliau mendapat maklumat daripada pegawai kerajaan Thailand bahawa rakan sejawatan mereka memberikan "isyarat" kepada kementerian luar Thailand bahawa kedatangan Pornthip tidak dialu-alukan di Malaysia.

Pornthip memberitahu beliau telah "dinasihatkan" oleh pegawai-pegawai tinggi Jabatan Kehakiman Thailand - tempat beliau bertugas sebagai ketua pengarah Institut Sains Forensik Pusat - supaya jangan ke Malaysia minggu depan untuk menghadiri inkues tersebut.

Pakar patologi berusia 54 tahun itu berkata, kementerian kehakiman telah menerima maklumat daripada kementerian luar Thailand bahawa beliau mungkin menghadapi masalah jika ke Malaysia, termasuk kemungkinan dihalang memasuki negara ini.

Menurutnya, kementerian luar Thailand telah menarima "isyarat" dari kerajaan Malaysia melalui "saluran tidak rasmi" bahawa kehadiran beliau dalam inkues tersebut, adalah tidak disenangi.Pornthip dijadualkan memberi keterangannya pada 20 April ini dan dijangka akan disoal mengenai pengamatannya terhadap bedah siasat kedua yang dijalankan ke atas mayat mendiang Teoh.

Dia menerima pelawaan kerajaan Selangor bagi membantu menentukan punca kematian Teoh berdasarkan pro bono, iaitu perkhidmatan kerajaan kepada kerajaan tanpa sebarang bayaran.Menurut beliau kebimbangan mengenai keselamatannya bermula apabila pada November tahun lalu ketika terbabit dalam bedah siasat kedua, Pornthip diekori oleh sekumpulan lelaki yang tidak dikenali.

Tindakan itu memberi tekanan kepadanya dan kebimbangannya memuncak pada Januari lalu apabila dua laporan polis dibuat ke atasnya berdasarkan tuduhan dia membocorkan keputusan bedah siasat kedua itu."Saya menerima jemputan kerajaan Selangor sebagai pakar sukarelawan yang bebas kerana saya anggap ini adalah kes di mana seorang insan telah menderita. Bagaimanapun apa yang saya lalui ketika melaksanakan tugas itu di Malaysia, menjadikan saya kurang selesa,” katanya. [malaysiakini]

Tiada asas untuk mendakwa Dr Pornthip

Dr Pornthip tidak didakwa kononnya bocor laporan forensik Teoh

SHAH ALAM, Jan 15 — Peguam Negara telah memutuskan tidak akan mendakwa ahli patologi dari Thailand, Dr Pornthip Rajanasunand berhubung dakwaan membocorkan maklumat laporan forensik mendiang Teoh Beng Hock kepada sebuah akhbar tabloid tempatan.

Peguam Tan Hock Chuan memberitahu Koroner Azmil Muntapha Abas, yang sedang mendengar inkues mengenai kematian Teoh, berkata Peguam Negara Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail telah pun meneliti kertas siasatan yang diserahkan oleh polis semalam dan mendapati tidak terdapat bukti kukuh bagi menyokong dakwaan itu.

Dr Pornthip (gambar) juga tidak akan dihalang daripada memberi keterangan dalam prosiding inkues itu selepas Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Musa Hassan memberikan jaminan tidak akan menahan atau mengganggu saksi itu.

“Dalam keadaan itu, Peguam Negara berpendapat tiada asas untuk mendakwa Dr Pornthip atas tuduhan itu,” kata Tan yang bertindak bagi pihak kerajaan Malaysia dalam inkues berkenaan.

Tan menjelaskan perkara itu di hadapan Azmil Muntapha pagi ini sebelum mahkamah mendengar prosiding menghina mahkamah terhadap dua pegawai Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang membuat laporan polis terhadap Pornthip pada 1 Jan lalu.

Dua pegawai SPRM berkenaan, Raub Ghani, 41, dan Hisyam Mohd Yusoff, 30, telah membuat laporan polis berhubung artikel bertajuk “Pornthip sahkan Beng Hock dibunuh” yang disiarkan akhbar Suara Keadilan pada 29 Dis, 2009.

Berikutan itu, abang mendiang, Teoh Meng Kee mendakwa laporan polis itu sengaja dibuat bagi menakut-nakutkan dan mengugut Dr Pornthip daripada memberi keterangan berhubung bedah siasat kedua ke atas Beng Hock, dan memohon mahkamah mengadakan prosiding menghina mahkamah terhadap pegawai itu.

Meng Kee memfailkan notis usul menghina mahkamah itu melalui peguamnya Karpal Singh pada 5 Jan lepas, dan hujah berhubung isu itu ditetapkan untuk didengar hari ini.

Dalam prosiding hari ini, Koroner Azmil menyarankan supaya prosiding menghina mahkamah tersebut tidak diteruskan setelah pihak Peguam Negara dan Ketua Polis Negara memberi jaminan tidak akan mendakwa atau menahan Dr Pornthip daripada hadir ke mahkamah dan memberikan keterangan.

Bagaimanapun Karpal membantah atas alasan Raub tetap perlu dikenakan tindakan menghina mahkamah kerana pegawai itu telah dengan sengaja membuat laporan polis yang tidak berasas dan palsu.- TMI

Saya tak dapat 1 sen pun : Dr Pornthip

Pakar forensik Thailand, Dr Pornthip Rojanansunand menolak lapuran dalam beberapa blog yang mendakwa dia dibayar.

Katanya dia tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak. Penglibatan beliau sekadar ingin mengetahui bagaimana Teoh terbunuh. Dr Pornthip menambah, beliau tidak dibayar walau sesen bersabit dengan penglibatan beliau dalam inkues kematian Teoh.

Dr Pornthip telah dilantik oleh kerajaan negeri Selangor sebagai pemerhati dalam bedah siasat kedua Teoh pada 21 Nov nanti.

Sementara itu, facebook Dr Pornthip telah menerima lebih 2000 kunjungan dalam jangkamasa kurang dari sebulan. Keadaan ini berlaku selepas beliau muncul sebagai pakar pemerhati dalam inkues TBH, demikian lapur Sin Chew.