MACC receives complaints from PKR

Supreme council member Badrul Hisham Shaharin at MACCoffice in Putrajaya. Badrul submit a total of 13 documentsinvolved corruption by UMNO leaders.

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 2, 2009): Several members of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), led by its supreme council member Badrul Hisham Shaharin, today lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on a list of cases of alleged abuse of power involving Barisan Nasional politicians, particularly from Umno, on various allegations of corruption dating back years.

Badrul told theSun the cases involved Umno politicians, who had allegedly bribed members for votes and also a few 'irregulaities' involving senior politicians.

The report also requested the MACC re-open and investigate cases, among others, those involving former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, Badrul said.

Badrul, accompanied by PKR members, submitted a dossier, supposedly containing 'information and evidence' on the politicians to MACC assistant investigating oficer Hasrul Abdul Yazid at the MACC headquarters at 10.45am.

"The MACC has more power now and since we believe 'their hands are not tied' like when they used to be an agency, they can now investigate these cases without fear and favour," he said.

"The ACA had in past issued statements that the Umno politicians could not be prosecuted for corruption because of the lack of evidence and witnesses. So today, we come forward with the evidence and we want the MACC to investigate these cases thoroughly. We want to test the effectiveness of the MACC and we hope they can start investigating these cases because it involves national interest."

He added that PKR will continue furnishing evidence of corruption to the MACC from time to time and will monitor how effective the commission is in discharging its duties.

The details of the dossier were not immediately known, but is believed to also contain incriminating documents on alleged corruption by a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk V.K Lingam made a surpise visit to the MACC headquarters and had the media in a frenzy when he entered the building minutes before noon.

The lawyer, who was in the public spotlight over a video clip of him allegedly brokering the appointment of judges, came out an hour later.

Approached by reporters who were there to cover PKR's report, Lingam said he was there to request the release of some documents that he had given the ACA.

He however, declined to reveal if the documents were linked to the video clip incident. He said the MACC is looking at releasing the documents.

Tim Leonard
The Sun
02/01/09

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