SINGAPORE -- Singapore's Ambassador to the United States Ashok Kumar Mirpuri has said that a news report filed by the Associated Press on the death of American engineer Shane Todd in Singapore was "inaccurate, misleading and mischievous," local media reported on Friday.

In a letter to the wire agency, Mirpuri referred to several inaccuracies in the story filed on May 27, including the headline which said that police in Singapore had admitted to "flouting protocol" when handling the high profile inquiry into the death of the American researcher.

The AP story distorted the testimony given by Sergeant Muhammad Khaldun Sarif in the public coroner's inquiry.

The officer said he made a preliminary assessment that pointed to suicide and that there were no signs of foul play, and hence he decided not to perform fingerprint dustings or DNA swabs.

Khaldun had told the court that the police protocols were operational guidelines, but such a practice was not prescriptive.

"In explaining his actions under oath, the investigator did not say he had violated any protocols let alone 'admit' to doing so," Mirpuri wrote in the letter, with copies forwarded to the Washington Post and CBS.

The letter also pointed out that the AP article repeated assertions made by the Todd family, such as finding a hard drive in Todd's apartment that police had allegedly missed, without reporting that this was contradicted by witnesses under oath.

Khaldun had produced a receipt with the signature of Todd's mother that showed police had handed the hard drive to the family. An FBI document presented during the inquiry confirmed that this was the same hard drive the Todds had sent the Bureau for analysis.

Todd, 31, was found hanging from his toilet door in his apartment in June last year, shortly after quitting his first job at the Institute of Microelectronics, a unit of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

Singapore police concluded that it was a suicide case, citing that there were no signs of forced entry, struggle or external injuries. The court also heard that Todd had been suffering from pressure from his work and sought help for depression in the months before his death.

At least three other experts, including two independent forensic pathologists from the United States, said separately that they agree with the conclusion of the Singapore police.

Todd's family, however, said they suspected foul play, alleging suspicious technological transfer involving China-headquartered telecommunications equipment giant Huawei. An expert report, commissioned by the family, speculated that Todd was killed by garroting, or strangulation with a thin cord or wire.

Huawei denied the allegation, saying that the cooperation project discussed did not even materialize. Todd's former colleagues also said that it was impossible for Todd to be involved in any sensitive research.

The Todds, who have tried to put pressure on Singapore through the media and U.S. lawmakers, even asked for U.S. investigators to supervise the probe in Singapore.

They also said they would push for a probe by the U.S. congress.

A total of 73 witnesses have been called in the inquiry, including Todd's friends and colleagues and forensics experts.

The state counsel and lawyers for the Institute of Microelectronics will make their closing submissions on June 17, and the verdict is expected on July 8.