WITH the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers themselves getting arrested, a UMNO leader questioned whether the anti-graft body needs an overhaul.
“Is MACC safe? It was odd that a ‘Datuk Seri’ implicated in a Macau scam could escape its custody with the help of his bodyguards some time back.
“A lot things needs to be revamped within our justice system. UMNO itself had to file a writ of summons against the police as RM40.3 mil confiscated from the party had gone missing,” said its supreme council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi in a statement.
Yesterday, Singapore-based Straits Times reported that three MACC officers have been arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds connected to a case involving the country’s former spymaster.
The trio, who were detained last week, had allegedly stolen a portion of US$6 mil (RM25 mil) seized from the former director-general of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid.
It was claimed that some of the stolen cash was replaced with counterfeit currency.
Hasanah herself was charged in 2018 with criminal breach of trust involving RM50.4 mil of Government funds.
However, she was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the High Court in April.
Puad said it was odd that MACC only publicised the arrest of its officers only after their three-day remand period (Sept 14-19) had ended.
He added that during the remand, the anti-graft body did not disclose any details to the public, be it their photos or the reason why they were detained.
“Is there a cover-up? If those arrested were other people, I’m sure MACC would have dressed them up on orange jumpsuits and published their pictures.
“And I’m curious, shouldn’t the police be investigating cases involving theft instead of MACC conducting an internal probe?” the former deputy minister queried.
MACC left out from reforms agreement
It is to note that at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo posed the same question, asking why was the MACC probing the officers instead of the police.
“First, this is a case involving the theft of case items. Cases of theft come under police jurisdiction. So why did MACC make the arrests? This is a matter involving MACC officers, we can’t ask MACC to probe itself.
“The question is what happened to the money? This is money related to a court case. It is claimed that part of the US$6 mil is missing.
“I ask that this case be investigated by an independent body that can show transparency in its investigations,” The Vibes reported him as saying.
Puad remarked: “Lawmakers must press the MACC for transparency. However, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Government and Pakatan Harapan on institutional reforms did not include MACC.” – Sept 21, 2021.
