Deputy Minister being investigated in the RM5 million corruption allegations to free suspects from detention under Emergency Ordinance (EO) must go on indefinite leave until completion of probe and cleared of charges

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Media Statement     
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Petaling Jaya, Sunday) : The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director of investigations, Mohd Shukri Abdul told the Sunday Star that the ACA “has begun investigating the senior politician who allegedly accepted more than RM5 million to assist in freeing several suspects detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO)”.

Mohd Shukri said “they have identified the politician and also the witnesses allegedly involved”.

I am baffled by the latter statement, as what is there for the ACA to “identify” when the “senior politician” was named in the allegations posted on the Internet revealed by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan in the Star report yesterday which first broke the story.

In yesterday’s Star front-page report, “Freedom for RM5m”, Musa said at least two websites had posted allegations and details of involvement of “a high-ranking politician”, who was  allegedly paid at least RM5 million to free suspects from detention under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

Although Musa said that two websites carried these allegations, I have only seen one of them which named the “senior politician” who is a Deputy Minister.

As reported by the New Sunday Times, the Deputy Minister is alleged to have been involved “in the improper release of three men suspected of being in a secret society and other illegal activities, including loan sharking, extortion, prostitution, assault and gambling”.

Although the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuki Seri Najib Razak  has said that nobody was above the law and those who broke it would face action, his statement had been undermined and even contradicted by the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Foo Ah Kiow who denied that there had been any improper political influence to free suspects from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.

As the Deputy Minister alleged to have been paid at least RM5 million for the improper release of three suspects under the Emergency Ordinance has been named in the website referred to by the Inspector-General of Police, the Deputy Minister concerned should step forward publicly to declare his innocence. 

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister being investigated in the RM5 million corruption allegation to free suspects from detention under Emergency Ordinance (EO) must go on indefinite leave until completion of the probe and he had been completely cleared of the serious charges. 

This would also avoid all perceptions about the lack of independence, diligence and professionalism of an investigation involving the Deputy Minister as well as release the Abdullah administration from the taint of corruption.

Two weeks ago, Musa made a shocking confession when he spoke on "Crime and Changing Social Values in the Malaysian Society" during a seminar at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) in Kuala Lumpur – that the Police is afflicted by the “close-one-eye” syndrome.

Musa lamented that in the war against crime, the police are at times frustrated by some politicians who want the police to “keep one eye open and one eye closed”.

Musa should explain the seriousness of the problem of “interfering politicians” including Deputy Ministers and Ministers wanting the police to “close one eye open and one eye closed” undermining and  frustrating the war against crime.

(4/3/2007)