Flamboyant forensics expert Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan will be getting personal bodyguards during her entire time in Malaysia to testify at the royal commission of inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

As per her request forwarded by the Selangor government’s lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, she is also looking into changing the date that she is scheduled to testify from March 16 and 17, to April 18 to 20.

To that, RCI secretary Saripuddin Kasim said in a statement that they have asked her to come in to testify in the first week of April.

“This is because the commission needs to complete their hearings by April 25,” he said.

Apart from the fiery-haired Dr Pornthip, the RCI had also previously managed to secure oral testimony by another foreign forensic expert involved with the case, Professor Dr Peter Vanezis from the United Kingdom.

The RCI was formed in late January, after the 18-month-long inquest returned an open verdict that ruled the death of Teoh, a DAP aide, was not due to either suicide or homicide.

teoh 2nd autopsy 221109 peter vanezis Pornthip, who was engaged by the Selangor government, had given her opinion that the second post-mortem on Teoh’s body proved he did not commit suicide .

The expert with Thailand’s Forensic Science Institute also said, however, that there was an 80 percent chance that Teoh’s death was homicide.

Vanezis ( right ), who was brought in by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, disagreed with Pornthip’s assertion, stating that the Teoh’s injuries showed he was most likely “conscious” and “fully orientated”.

Psychiatrist to interview interrogator

In the meantime, one of the three psychiatrists summoned to ‘determine Teoh’s mental health ’ will be interviewing the MACC interrogator in Kuala Lumpur from March 21 to 23.

Dr Benjamin Chan, a private psychiatrist from Johor Baru engaged by the Bar Council, will also be meeting Teoh’s family members at their house in Malacca beforehand.

The other two psychiatrists are attached with government hospitals and are engaged by the MACC.

Teoh was found dead on July 16, 2009 at Plaza Masalam, after being questioned overnight by the MACC as a witness in a case involving an exco member’s alleged misuse of Selangor government allocations.

The Selangor MACC office is located on the 14th floor of the building.