A MAN who had accused the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of offering RM10 mil to Bersatu’s Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan to implicate party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a graft case has been arrested.
Mohamad Shafiq Abdul Halim, a freelance researcher for Wan Saiful, had apologised to the anti-corruption watchdog over the claim, saying he had “misspoken” when commenting on rumours that MACC had made the offer to Wan Saiful to tweak his statement to the authorities.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said Mohamad Shafiq was arrested yesterday under Section 48 of the MACC Act for obstructing investigations.
“He came to our headquarters after being summoned and was arrested at 3.30pm yesterday,” Azam confirmed at a press conference earlier today, adding that Shafiq’s claim was a wild accusation that had tarnished MACC’s reputation.
Following Azam’s earlier threat to take legal action against him for his slander and lie which are capable of “destroying people’s trust in the commission”, Mohamad Shafiq then shifted the blame to Pakatan Harapan (PH) cybertroopers, whom he claimed had tampered with his live TikTok video post.
“The live (video) on my TikTok this afternoon was a reaction to malicious slander made by PH cyber troopers who seemed to be a judge in confirming that Datuk Wan Saiful has demanded and accepted bribes,” he clarified in his Facebook page after Berita Harian sought Azam’s reaction on the matter.
“After being provoked in the comment section, I did say ‘there are rumours’ in the court that the MACC offered RM10 mil to Datuk Wan Saiful to change his statement so as to implicate Tan Sri Muhyiddin.”
Added Shafiq: “I do not intend to accuse any party including TS Azam Baki whereby my video was ‘cut’ by PH’s cybertroopers who then disseminated it as if I only mentioned the part of MACC offering RM10 mil to Datuk Wan Saiful.”
On Tuesday, Wan Saiful claimed trial to accepting a bribe of RM6.9 mil in relation to the Jana Wibawa project.
The Tasek Gelugor MP was also charged with soliciting an unspecified amount for a road project worth RM232 mil linked to the programme.
Wan Saiful had resigned as the Bersatu information chief yesterday, although Muhyiddin stressed that the former’s resignation did not imply that he is guilty of the charges he had been slapped with.
Instead, it shows the level of responsibility taken by Bersatu leaders, the PN chairman added. – Feb 23, 2023
Main pic credit: Malay Mail
