KUALA LUMPUR – The government has decided not to pursue a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the case involving misappropriation of funds seized by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers, the Dewan Rakyat heard.
Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, however, said he will, with the cabinet, raise the need for an RCI to investigate former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas soon.
Speaking in Parliament today, Wan Junaidi acknowledged a previous call by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the government to set up an RCI on stolen evidence money by MACC staff, but noted that the probe by the authorities has been concluded.
As such, he said the need for an inquiry no longer arises.
“At this moment, there is no need to set up (an inquiry), seeing that the investigation has been completed and (the IP) submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for consideration and decision,” he said during his winding-up speech for the 12th Malaysia Plan.
This is in relation to the three senior MACC officials arrested last month over allegedly misappropriating funds involving a portion of US$6 million (RM25 million) that was seized during an investigation and belonging to the government.
A well-placed source in the MACC had told The Vibes that the officials were arrested in connection with the alleged counterfeiting of cash seized from former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation director-general Datuk Hasanah Abd Hamid three years ago.
The three officers were remanded by the MACC for six days from September 14, but questions have since been raised on the decision to allow the MACC to investigate its own men.
Separately, Wan Junaidi said he has yet to receive any orders from the cabinet pertaining to an RCI into Thomas, but assures that the matter will be discussed accordingly.
“The country is administered based on the federal constitution, under the watch of the cabinet. I can’t answer without an instruction from the cabinet. That is the constitution.
“But, God’s willing, I will raise the issue in cabinet whether or not the government agrees for an RCI to probe Tommy Thomas,” he said.
He was responding to Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling-BN) on whether the government intends to conduct an RCI on Thomas, specifically on his decision to drop 15 cases during his time in power, including one involving Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH).
On Monday, Azeez had raised a similar comment in the Dewan Rakyat, saying an inquiry is also necessary to determine if the prosecutions pursued by Thomas back then were politically motivated.
He had questioned the legal actions taken against several Umno leaders during Pakatan Harapan’s time in power.
Meanwhile, on the criteria to form an RCI, Wan Junaidi said this depends on the complexity of a case, with less complex ones to only be investigated by the police and MACC.
“If even cases that are not too complex, we want to have an RCI, then it will never end. So, allow the government’s wisdom to decide when a case requires to be probed under an RCI or if it is sufficient with the investigation by the authorities.” – The Vibes, October 7, 2021
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