SHAH ALAM, Malaysia - There were many fingerprints on the 14th-floor window that Teoh Beng Hock was believed to have fallen from but they were not tested for a match as they were not complete, an inquest into his death was told.

C/Insp Mazli Jusoh, an officer from the Selangor police forensics department, said standard operating procedures required at least eight characteristics before the fingerprints could be lifted for matching.

"In this case, there were fingerprints but the characteristics were incomplete," he said.

Questioned by counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family, on whether he had any positive prints to match, Insp Mazli said no.

Gobind: Is this mentioned in the report?

Insp Mazli: If the fingerprints are negative we don't write it down.

Gobind then asked: "So, you can come to court and say anything about fingerprints and we can't verify?"

Insp Mazli replied there was nothing if there were no fingerprints.

When Insp Mazli said that fingerprints were left when there was sweat from a person's sweat cells, Gobind asked him if DNA samples could be obtained from these.

"The dusting powder will destroy the DNA and if swabbing is done before dusting, the fingerprint lines would be destroyed," said Insp Mazli.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail went blank temporarily when asked about the circumstances in the room when Teoh's statement was recorded by another officer.

"Difficult to say," Mohd Anuar replied to government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan.

Teoh was in a room at the MACC office in Plaza Masalam with officer Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim, who was recording his statement, at about 2am on July 16.

Tan then rephrased his question and asked Mohd Anuar if there were any problems during the recording session.

"I walked into the room for a brief moment and asked if there were any problems during the session.

"Nadzri said there was no problem while Teoh remained quiet," Mohd Anuar said.

Mohd Anuar said he was not in the room throughout the recording session but only walked in for two to three minutes.

The room door remained open at all times, he said, adding that Teoh was not handcuffed at any time.

THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK