Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah has denied having an argument with DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock prior to the latter's death.

He also accused a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer who purportedly witnessed the altercation of 'fabricating' the story.

tan boon wah pc on macc accusation 270809 02 Tan was responding to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail who said he was told by another officer Bulkini Paharuddin that he saw the duo bickering in the MACC Selangor office toilet around 2am.

Mohd Anuar said this yesterday during the ongoing inquest proceeding, which is being held to determine Teoh's cause of death.

Describing it as a "baseless allegation", Tan said: "The accusation has caused serious hardship to me and my family."

Recounting what had happened, the councillor said on June 7, he was taken to the MACC Selangor office in Shah Alam to have his statement recorded.

According to Tan, he spent a total of "16 hours and 35 minutes" in the building until he was released at 1.35pm the next day.

"I was questioned from about 10pm until 2am without a break. Only after that was I allowed to rest in the interrogation room.

"After that, I wanted to have a drink, so the investigating officer took me to the pantry. Following this, I asked permission to make a telephone call to my family," he said.

"The time on the mobile phone showed 2.30am. The investigating officer was by my side, since 10pm until about 2.30am

"This clearly proves that the officer, Bulkini, made a false statement which was purposely fabricated. I was never in the toilet at the said time," he added.

Met him in the pantry

After making the telephone call to his family, Tan said he went to sleep in the room.

NONE "Not long after that, I got up to go to the toilet. I saw Teoh pacing up and down in the pantry. I asked him, 'You are still here?'. He just lowered his head. I went to the toilet, and when I returned to the pantry, I did not see him there," he added.

Teoh was later found dead and is said to have plunged from the MACC Selangor office located on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam.

His family and friends refused to believe that Teoh, 30, would have committed suicide, especially since he was supposed to get married the next day.

Both Teoh and Tan were hauled up to assist MACC in its investigation concerning several Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives in Selangor, including Teoh's boss Ean Yong Hian Wah.