(May 12): utrajaya and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have admitted negligence in the death of former Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock, and were today directed by the court to pay his family RM600,000 in damages and RM60,000 in costs.

Lawyer for Teoh's family, Gobind Singh Deo, said the family now wanted the police to conduct further investigations into Teoh's death and charge those responsible.

"I think this is a great victory for the Teoh family. After six years of legal battles, they now have an acknowledgment by the MACC and government that they are responsible for his death.

"We will continue to push the police for action in the matter. We have done all we possibly can in the matter legally. It is now for the police to do the needful and we will not stop pushing for justice for Teoh Beng Hock," Gobind said in a statement today.

Teoh's family sued 10 MACC officers, the MACC and Putrajaya for negligence and assault while he was held in their custody. He fell to his death at the Selangor MACC office at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after hours of being interrogated by anti-graft officers into alleged corruption involving a state assemblyman.

The family's suit was filed in October 2012 and the defendants had counter-claimed that Teoh's death was caused by his own negligence.

The High Court in 2011 upheld the coroner's open verdict in an inquest to determine Teoh's death. It held that 3—year-old Teoh had pre-fall injuries but said there was insufficient evidence to show that he was assaulted.

The Court of Appeal last September reversed the open verdict, and said it was not suicide but found "a person or persons were responsible for his death".

The MACC and the Attorney-General's Chambers had before then already cleared the three anti-graft officers who had interrogated Teoh.

The three officers were found by a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh's death as having driven the aide to suicide because of "oppressive, prolonged and aggressive" questioning methods.

The police have said they are re-investigating the case. – The Malaysian Insider