Malaysian Kangaroo MACC clears Ong in RM10mil case

KUALA LUMPUR - Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat has been cleared of the allegation that he received RM10mil for MCA activities from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Tiong King Sing.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy chief Mohd Shukri Abdull said investigation papers forwarded to the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) were returned to the MACC with instructions to close the case.

“They (DPP) said there was no case against him (Ong),’’ Mohd Shukri said, declining to elaborate.

Ong, meanwhile, said he received a letter from MACC on Apr 22 clearing him of the allegation.

Last week, he said he was still committed to his promise to bring to book all those responsible for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

"When I gave my word that I'm committed to it, that's it," he said, commenting on a news report which stated that all previous directors of the Port Klang Authority, under whose watch the nation lost more than RM12bil in the PKFZ scandal, had been let off the hook.

Ong vs Tiong on May 17

In another development, the High Court, on Tuesday, deferred to May 17 the hearing of an application by Ong for an injunction to restrain Tiong from further making defamatory statements against him.

Judicial Commissioner Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham set the new date because Tiong's counsel needed time to reply to Ong's latest affidavit which was filed Tuesday morning.

The court was scheduled to hear the application Tuesday but was told by Ong's counsel, Ronnie Tan, that he had received an important document from his client pertaining to the case Monday afternoon and filed an affidavit Tuesday morning.

Ong, who was then MCA president, filed a RM500mil defamation suit against Tiong, the Bintulu MP and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman, on Aug 24 last year.

He claimed that Tiong had defamed him in an article on the Malaysiakini website on Aug 12, 2009, in which Tiong said he had given Ong RM10mil for MCA activities.

Kuala Dimensi was the turnkey contractor for the Port Klang Free Zone project which is being probed for billing irregularities.

Malaysian Mirror
28/04/10

No comments: