KUALA LUMPUR: Thai forensic pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan is scheduled to return on April 19 to give evidence in the ongoing inquest into the death of political secretary Teoh Beng Hock.

Gobind Singh Deo, who is representing the Teoh family in the inquest, told The Edge Financial Daily that Porntip will appear in court on April 19 and that she is expected to complete her testimony on that day.

Porntip first appeared at the inquest on Oct 21, 2009 and had caused a stir when she said there was an "80% possibility of homicide and 20% possibility of suicide" in Teoh's death.

The renowned pathologist, who is engaged by the Selangor state government, also said Teoh may have been unconscious before falling to his death and that he likely suffered pre-fall injuries given that several bodily injuries appeared inconsistent with those typically seen in fatal falls.

She pointed out, among other things, that the abrasions found behind Teoh's upper right thigh appeared similar to injuries caused by "beating by a piece of wood" and that the bruises on Teoh's neck were likely caused by "manual strangulation".

Porntip, who is the director-general of Thailand's Ministry of Justice's Central Institute of Forensic Science, had arrived at her preliminary opinions based on the report on the first post-mortem conducted by two government pathologists as well as photographs taken during the procedure.

It remains to be seen if Porntip will maintain her earlier opinions having observed the second post-mortem procedure at the Sungai Buloh Hospital on Nov 22, 2009.

The second autopsy was conducted by Sungai Buloh Hospital's consultant pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor, who will continue giving evidence at the inquest on March 10.

British forensic pathologist Dr Peter Vanesiz, engaged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), was also present at the second post-mortem procedure and is expected to present his opinions at a date to be fixed.

The inquest at the Shah Alam magistrate's court, which began last August, is into its seventh month and has heard evidence from 31 witnesses.

Teoh, who was an aide to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on a fifth-floor landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.

The 30-year-old was earlier questioned overnight as a witness in Selangor MACC's probe into the alleged abuse of state allocations by several assemblymen.

Selangor MACC's office was then located on the 14th floor of an office tower in Plaza Masalam.