MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki has urged businessman Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan who is currently abroad to just come back and to not give so many excuses.
Azam denied that MACC has only now made the decision to track down the son-in-law of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, adding that the anti-graft agency had long been trying to get in touch with Adlan but to no avail, according to a Berita Harian report.
“We have been looking for him since June but he has failed to cooperate with us and in fact, each time one of my officers contacts him he would be full of excuses,” he told the Malay daily.
“The decision to put out a notice for him was made when he did not want to cooperate, and this does not have anything to do with the state elections.”
According to Azam, the team of lawyers representing Adlan should also play their parts in making sure their client cooperates in accordance with the country’s laws.
Yesterday (Aug 9) Adlan had reportedly denied that he is on the run because he is trying to evade the authorities.
Datuk Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu, who is representing Muhammad Adlan, said in a press statement that his client categorically rejects that he is “a fugitive on the run”.
Baljit said Muhammad Adlan has the right of movement and travel like any other free citizen of the country, more so to conduct his business in any part of the world.
“The exercise of these rights by our client should not be construed or mischaracterised as an attempt to avoid or stall the investigation,” he said on Wednesday (Aug 9).
Baljit was reponding to a MACC statement on Monday (Aug 7) that Adlan and another person were being sought to assist in an investigation into corrupt practices relating to the registration, acquisition and storage of biometric data of foreign workers.
The other person was a 69-year-old lawyer, Mansoor Saat.
It was reported that the MACC said that checks with the Immigration Department showed that Muhammad Adlan and Mansoor left the country on May 17 and 21 respectively and that there were no records of the two returning to Malaysia.
Baljit said that his client was never arrested nor called by the MACC for a meeting or to assist any investigation before he left the country lawfully.
He said Adlan had been contacted by an MACC officer and had responded through a letter dated March 3.
“In that letter, our client stated that he is travelling overseas for business and will return once these affairs are attended to,” Baljit revealed.
“He gave a tentative date of return and impressed upon the MACC that there is witch-hunting and finger-pointing being orchestrated against him to his utter detriment.
“To date, our client has not received a formal reply from the MACC,” Baljit pointed out.
Adlan, who is now under a travel ban, denied suggestions that he was uncontactable and said he was prepared to cooperate.
He also questioned the timing of MACC’s press release, which he stated was so near to the state elections, suggesting a political undertone to the process.
“Our client states that he will certainly return to Malaysia as soon as possible to answer all questions and to assist the MACC with any investigation so long as the elements of threats and persecution are eliminated,” Baljit said. – Aug 10, 2023
Main pic credit: Benar News
