“ACA probes cop with RM27m assets” – is this the first case of ACA probe of police officers with assets several times over their known income in the past two years after the Royal Police Commission Report calling for priority for campaign to wipe out corruption in the PDRM?

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Media Statement 
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Friday): Today’s New Straits Times report “ACA probes cop with RM27m assets” has refocused public attention on corruption in the police force and raised the question whether the Royal Police Commission’s three key recommendations that the nation should have an efficient and professional world-class police service to reduce crime, eradicate corruption and respect human rights have made any appreciable progress in the past two years. 

According to the NST, a senior police officer at Bukit Aman is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for abuse of power and failing to declare RM27 million worth of assets.  

It is understood that the officer is also a company director and the RM27 million fortune was amassed illegally.

The NST report said: 

Sources familiar with the case said ACA officers from Putrajaya took a statement from the officer at his office yesterday.

"The officer, who is in his 50s, is a director of a company which was awarded a project in April to develop an area in Lahad Datu," a source said.

"Several villagers voiced their opposition to the project when the company staff went to the area to do surveying work.

 "The police officer allegedly ordered the villagers to be arrested," the source added.

The ACA started its investigation following an anonymous telephone call about two weeks ago. 

Malaysians are reminded of the Royal Police Commission report on police corruption: “The public believes that police personnel are vulnerable and this encourages the public to offer bribes in order to avoid any inconvenience, legal action or paying heavier fines.” 

The public are also reminded of the case of the “RM34 million” senior police officer mentioned in the Royal Police Commission Report, which said: 

“A retired police officer alleged that corruption was rampant within PDRM. He claimed that many officers had assets several times over their known income.  According to the complainant, it was common knowledge that a particular senior officer made an asset declaration amounting to RM34 million and he was surprised that no action was seen to have been taken.”  (p. 278)

Up to now there has been no satisfactory explanation and accounting of this case, although it had been subsequently reported that the assets declared by the senior officer concerned was RM4 million and not RM34 million. 

What is of concern about the latest report of the “RM27 million” senior cop is a picture that nothing substantive had taken place to create a culture of integrity and zero-tolerance for corruption in the police force, one of the three main police objectives recommended by the Royal Police Commission Report. 

Is the “RM27 million” cop reported by the NST the first case of ACA probe of police officers with assets several times over their known income in the past two years after the Royal Police Commission Report calling for priority for campaign to wipe out corruption in the PDRM? 

Although the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan made a highly-publicised statement in December last year warning policemen against living beyond their means, his credibility suffered a huge dent when nothing was done with regard to the very serious allegations of corruption made against the nation’s top cops, including Musa, in articles by Raja Petra Kamaruddin in the news portal, Malaysia Today. 

Instead, Raja Petra was subjected to harassment and victimization with the eight-hour police questioning two days ago, not on what he wrote, in particular the various allegations and exposes of abuses of power and corruption involving high-profile political, police and government officials, but for comments left by visitors. 

Musa and the PDRM must get their act together to demonstrate that they are fully committed to the National Integrity Plan are prepared to set a good example of probity to restore public confidence in an incorruptible police service by welcoming an independent inquiry into all serious allegations of corruption against top cops.  

Alternatively, he should invite the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity to conduct a full probe into all the allegations of corruption and abuses of power which had been made against him and other top police cops, to demonstrate that they have nothing to hide.

(27/7/2007)