The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock's death today ordered a new search for a missing watch to be conducted at Plaza Masalam this afternoon.

In the interestNONE of speeding up proceedings, inquiry chairperson James Foong (left) directed investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal to put together a team for the search, considering that today's hearing would adjourn early to enable the lawyers to attend the KL Bar's annual general meeting.

The order came after Nazri said during examination-in-chief by conducting officer Amarjeet Singh that there was a small drain hole near where Teoh's body was found.

The watch strap was found near Teoh's body, which was discovered on the fifth floor landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.

Nazri said he had inspected the drain hole in his search for the watch, but could only see about six inches down as the drainpipe went into a bend after that.

He admitted he did not measure the depth of the hole, nor did he use a flashlight, but pointed out that the drain hole opening was too small for his hand to go in.

This revelation piqued the curiosity of the five-member panel, especially Foong, who suggested that Nazri and a team at least conducts a preliminary inspection of the piping system originating from the fifth floor drain hole.

"I am of the mind that we do not waste time and send the ASP and a few men, perhaps to see how deep it is or get the pipe plans... forget about the formalities, let's get things done," Foong said.

Pathologist Dr Buphinder Singh, who is on the inqury panel, said even if it had been close to two years (since Teoh's body was found there), the fact that the missing watch could have fallen into the drain hole meant there was a possibility that it was still there.

Foong also ordered that representatives of all parties, including the Bar Council and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, should accompany Nazri's team to observe the procedures.

The RCI considers the missing watch an important piece of the puzzle as it could indicate Teoh’s time of death.

'Tak jumpa apa-apa'
 
In the afternoon, a police forensics team lead by Nazri spent nearly two hours scouring the drain pipes on the fifth floor landing of Plaza Masalam, accompanied by representatives from the Bar Council and MACC legal teams and the conducting officers.

It is understood that there are seven drain holes on the landing. The search was conducted using a hammer to break open the holes and insert steel wires to find the missing watch.

Members of the media were not allowed in to see the process, which was completed around 5.15pm.

Nazri, when approached by journalists at the end of the search, would only say, tak jumpa apa-apa (we found nothing) as he left the crime scene.

Cop on the grill

Earlier, Foong and the panel were left incredulous over the sheer numbers of oversights committed by Nazri when leading the investigation into Teoh’s death two years ago.

From the very start of NNONEazri's testimony, Foong repeatedly told him to stop reading word for word from his records and instead tell the inquiry what he could remember from his observations.

The panellists also repeatedly asked Nazri (left) to state whether or not he took down numerous details in his diary, such as the name of the MACC officer who assisted him in his investigations at the commission’s 14th floor office, to which he answered in the negative.

Foong finally couldn’t take it when Nazri, itemising the contents of Teoh’s bag – which included a laptop, five VCDs, a camera, a notebook and several sheets of paper – admitted that he did not bother to look into the contents of the VCDs, or print out the photos in the camera or consider the significance of the notebook and sheets of paper.

“My God, this is elementary isn’t it!” exclaimed the federal court judge.

“It’s simple, just open (the VCDs), put them in the computer and see if it is important or not... maybe it can throw light in the cave.”

Foong then ordered that all the contents of Teoh’s bag be kept under lock and key until the panel appoints a private investigator to look through the evidence in the presence of all material parties, including the panellists and lawyers.

New witnesses to be called

At the start of today’s hearing, Foong announced that the panel has decided to add four more MACC officers to the witness list.

They are Zurinawati Zulkipli, who had assisted Nazri in his investigations, Mohd Redzuan Mohammad, Sadriandan Krisnasekar and Norsial Baharom.

The panel also ruled it was not necessary for a psychiatrist engaged by the MACC to sit in during the inquiry, as a substantial part of the hearing do not require the services of a psychiatrist.

However, the panel was agreeable to the Bar Council’s suggestion to have two psychiatric experts – one each from the Bar Council and the MACC – so that they could interview the witnesses together and come to their own assessments and evaluations in assisting the commission.

The inquiry resumes tomorrow morning.