SHAH ALAM: The inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock here is expected to heat up again in April when two forensic experts, Dr Porntip Rojanasunan and Dr Peter Vanesiz, appear in court to give evidence on the second post-mortem conducted to uncover what caused the political secretary's death.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas today fixed April 20 to hear from Porntip, who is engaged by the Selangor state government, and set April 26 and 27 for Vanesiz, who is brought in by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Both foreign experts were present to observe the second post-mortem on Nov 22, 2009 by Sungai Buloh Hospital's pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor.

Porntip testified on Oct 22, 2009 that Teoh had likely suffered pre-fall injuries and that the death was more likely caused by homicide than suicide.

MACC's legal affairs and prosecutions director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa today also suggested that the court recall either of the two government pathologists who conducted the first post-mortem to dispute the first point stated in Porntip's earlier post-mortem report.

Porntip's report, dated Sept 29, 2009 said: "I agree with the two forensic pathologists who jointly conducted the autopsy that some injuries were not compatible with injuries sustained in the fall from height. That means, the victim may have pre-fall injuries before falling".

The first autopsy was jointly performed by Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang's Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre's Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar on July 17, 2009.

Abdul Razak said the doctors should be given the chance to explain whether Porntip's remarks were "correct or not".

Selangor state government's counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar objected to Abdul Razak's request, warning that the "opportunity could be exploited" as the two pathologists had already concluded their evidence.

"The fact is, the situation was such that Tuan (Azmil) ordered the body to be exhumed for the second post-mortem. It would not have been done if the first post-mortem was sufficient," Malik said.

The Teoh family's counsel Gobind Singh Deo similarly objected, asking: "Are we going to keep going back and moving forward?"

Azmil then said the earlier pathologists would only be recalled later "if it is helpful for clarification" while adding that it would be subject to the evidence given by Porntip and Vanesiz next month.

Azmil also agreed with Gobind's request to only summon Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah, who is listed as a witness, after Tan's suit against the MACC was disposed of by the Federal Court.

Gobind told the court that he had been informed that Tan's lawyer Karpal Singh had prepared Tan's appeal and was "hopeful" to appear at the apex court in the next two weeks.

Tan was questioned by the Selangor MACC on July 15, 2009 at about the same time Teoh was hauled in to assist the MACC's probe into the allocations of several assemblymen.

Teoh was later found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth floor landing, near the tower block of Plaza Masalam here which then housed the state MACC's office.

Tan took legal action to challenge the MACC's right to question witnesses overnight, claiming in his suit, that he had suffered losses and damages as a result of his detention and 16-hour questioning session by the anti-graft officers.

The local councillor was now appealing the Court of Appeal's Dec 17, 2009 decision which overturned the Kuala Lumpur High Court's earlier ruling which restricted the MACC's questioning hours to regular office hours of between 8.30am and 5.30pm.