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We want full public disclosure, TI tells
AG
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An anti-corruption watchdog
has today demanded full public disclosure of the basis for the government’s
dismissal of corruption allegations against former Anti-Corruption Agency
director-general Zulkipli Mat Noor and police chief Musa Hassan.
 “Transparency International Malaysia believes that the public would
like to see the full report of the investigations and basis for the decisions
made on all these allegations,” said the organisation’s president, Ramon V
Navaratnam.
 Last
Friday, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail (left) cleared both
Zulkipli and Musa of a litany of corruption allegations for lack of
evidence.
Zulkipli was probed by the police over 28 allegations of
corruption and abuse of power, while Musa was investigated by the ACA for
allegedly receiving RM2 million in return for the release of three underworld
figures under the Emergency Ordinance, which allows detention without trial.
In addition to the two, a senior police officer at Bukit Aman is also
currently being investigated for abuse of power and undeclared assets worth
about RM27 million. He has neither been suspended from duty nor had his assets
frozen.
“The public must be convinced and satisfied that the enforcement
agencies have taken all necessary steps in the investigations of all charges
against these three officials.”
Ex-Sabah ACA chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul
Manan, the whistleblower responsible for the allegations against Zulkipli, has
on Monday faulted the attorney-general for clearing his former
boss.
Need to remove public
doubt
Ramon expressed his disappointment at the measures
undertaken by the enforcement agencies on the three cases despite the severity
of the accusations.
“The attorney-general would need to provide sound
cogent basis for his decisions in such cases which involved the public interest
and confidence in law enforcement mechanisms and the rule of law.”
The
nation’s premier anti-corruption watchdog reiterated its call for a legislation
to protect whistleblowers and to make the ACA a “truly independent agency that
reports to an independent commission or to Parliament directly”.
“Independent judgment is a prerequisite for public confidence. If the
agencies concerned were seen by the public to be more independent, then any
doubts would be removed and the persons concerned would have their images
protected more effectively,” said Ramon.
“It is only fair to the
individuals who are cleared to feel that they enjoy the full confidence of the
public in their innocence.”
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