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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Teoh Beng Hock RCI – homicide most likely

Sounds like from the testimony and report of  Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's associate professor in mechanical engineering, Sallehuddin Muhamad, homicide is the most likely conclusion. Read the article below reproduced here with the kind permission of  'Not possible for Teoh to squat on ledge and jump' and decide for yourself whether that should be the most likely conclusion of the RCI:

'Not possible for Teoh to squat on ledge and jump'

S Pathmawathy
May 3, 11
12:16pm

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It would not have been possible for Teoh Beng Hock to squat on the window ledge and jump forward, said an expert witness testifying before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating his death.
azlanUniversiti Teknologi Malaysia's associate professor in mechanical engineering, Sallehuddin Muhamad, concluded this in his report after reconstructing Teoh's fall in nine possible ways.
"Squatting on the window edge and then jumping forward is not possible due to the size of the open window. The head will hit the window panel if he jumps from this position," Sallehuddin says in his report.

In the report, Sallehuddin suggests two possible positions of Teoh's fall:
(a) Without the air resistance effect
- pushed horizontally forward at 1m/s (Case 2)
- pushed downwards at a speed of 3m/s and a 20-degree angle (Case 7)
(b) With the aerodynamic effect
- Sit on the window edge and free-fall to the ground at initial angle of 4.75 degrees.
“Squatting on the window edge and then jumping forward is not possible due to the size of the open window. The head will hit the window panel if he jumps from this position,” he added after the second suggestion.
azlan“Situation (a) is homicide, while situation (b) is suicide. To fall from situation (b), the deceased must be sitting on the window edge for a very short time before free-fall as the sharp edge of the window frame will hurt him,” the report states.
Sallehuddin, who specialises in aircraft accident investigations, was engaged by the RCI's private investigator Michael Leslie Squires after the commission called for a reconstruction of the fall via computer animation in February.
He told the panel today that he visited the scene of the incident in March, accompanied by several officers from the Chemistry Department and police officers.

“It is not possible to open the window to the farthest extent without difficulty. A few of us had to push it all the way,” said Sallehuddin.
He explained that the window from which Teoh had fallen measured slightly more than 96 feet from the fifth floor landing and “if one is to open the window, the person must bend over”.
“I asked my assistant to sit on the window ledge to simulate the fall but we didn't try to jump... it is very uncomfortable to squat on the ledge for long,” he testified.
The inquiry took a 30-minute break after the professor had introduced himself and submitted his report to the panel.

However, the panel after the break decided to reserve Sallehuddin's testimony for later in the day and to first question Teoh's friend, Woo Chuan Sing, and colleague Mandy Ooi.

Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after being questioned overnight as a witness by the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The MACC was investigating his employer Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah over alleged irregularities in disbursement of state funds, but could not find evidence of this.

Below is the full summary of Sallehuddin's findings:
Conclusion
A. Most probable position before the fall:
Based on the fall analysis, the most probable ways the body fell to the ground are:
(a) Without the air resistance effect
(i) pushed horizontally forward at 1m/s (Case 2)
(ii) pushed downwards at a speed of 3m/s and 20 degrees angle (Case 7)
(b) With the aerodynamic effect
Sit on the window edge and free-fall to the ground at initial angle of 4.75 degrees.
(c) Squatting on the window edge and jumping forward is not possible due to the opening size of the window. The deceased's head will hit the window panel if he jumps in this position.
Situation (a)(i) and (ii) are homicide , while (b) is suicide. To fall from situation (b), the deceased must be sitting on the window edge for a very short time before free-fall as the sharp edge of the window frame will hurt him.

B. Marking on the shoes

Markings on his shoes (labelled A) were due to wear and tear as there are no markings on the outside wall of the 14th floor during my inspection.

However, markings (labelled B) may occur when the shoes made contact with the sharp edges of the window during situation (b).
Unanswered question
The window handle lost from the window lock. According to the maintenance personnel, the handle was installed on the window prior to the incident. Did the handle break due to:
(a) The deceased grabbing the handle to prevent himself from falling, but the handle breaking due to the weight of the body?

(b) The handle catching part of the body/clothing and breaking due to the weight?
Situation (a) is homicide and situation (b) is suicide.

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