KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have admitted negligence in the death of former Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock, and were directed yesterday by the court to pay his family RM600,000 in damages and RM60,000 in costs.

Lawyer for Teoh’s family, Gobind Singh Deo, said the family now want the police to conduct further investigations into Teoh’s death and charge those responsible.

“I think this is a great victory for the Teoh family. After six years of legal battles, they now have an acknowledgement by the MACC and government that they are responsible for his death.

“We will continue to push the police for action in the matter. We have done all we possibly can in the matter legally. It is now for the police to do the needful and we will not stop pushing for justice for Teoh Beng Hock,” Gobind said in a statement yesterday.

Teoh’s family sued 10 MACC officers, the MACC and Putrajaya for negligence and assault while he was held in their custody. He fell to his death from the Selangor MACC office at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after hours of being interrogated by anti-graft officers into alleged corruption involving a state assemblyman.

The family’s suit was filed in October 2012 and the defendants had counterclaimed that Teoh’s death was caused by his own negligence. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on May 13, 2015.