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| Chief Commissioner of the MACC Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed urged all MACC officers to uphold the highest ethical standards, saying they will be held accountable to the oaths they took as members of the agency. — Picture by Choo Choy May |
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed warned his officers in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today against giving unauthorised statements to the media and said he will instruct for a police report to be lodged on the matter.
The MACC chief commissioner also repeated the anti-graft agency’s assertion yesterday that the move to refer Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali’s decision on the SRC International and RM2.6 billion cases to its oversight panel should not be taken to mean that it was rejecting the top lawyer’s clearance of the prime minister in the two matters.
He said the AG’s powers over criminal proceedings are conferred to him by Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, adding that these powers are absolute and cannot be challenged by any authority.
“Further to media reports today alleging MACC personnel have been giving unauthorised briefings to media and making various allegations, let me be very clear: if this is true, it will not be tolerated and action will be taken.
“I am instructing for a police report to be filed so this matter can be independently investigated,” Abu Kassim said.
He also urged all MACC officers to uphold the highest ethical standards, saying they will be held accountable to the oaths they took as members of the agency.
Additionally, Abu Kassim also said that no statement by any individual should be represented by the media as the official position of MACC on the two cases unless it was released by the agency’s strategic communication division.
On Tuesday, Apandi announced that he has found no evidence of wrongdoing in the corruption probes on SRC International, a unit formerly owned by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and the transfer of a RM2.6 billion donation into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s private accounts.
He added that he will return the investigation papers to the MACC and instruct them to close the cases.
Since then, reports have emerged quoting sources in the MACC revealing recommendations allegedly made by the agency in its investigation on the two cases.
Yesterday, the MACC said it will refer Apandi’s decision to its Operations Review Panel (PPO) for review, stirring speculation that the agency disagreed with the AG’s clearance of the prime minister.
Later, however, MACC issued a statement to deny this, saying that the review bid was just normal procedure.
Source from themalaymailonline
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