KUALA LUMPUR: The government is finally taking disciplinary action, upon the advice of the Attorney-General (A-G), against a civil servant who embezzled nearly RM1 million from the Accountant-General’s Department, Finance Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said.

He said the Accountant-General’s Department had delayed taking any action because it was waiting for the police investigation to conclude, but after being advised by the A-G not to wait, the department has taken initial steps to carry out disciplinary action against the officer.

“The finance ministry was of the view that we should not take any disciplinary action or surcharge before police investigations had concluded,” Irwan told a townhall meeting on the 2013 A-G’s Report yesterday.

“However, on Sept 18, 2014, the Attorney-General advised us that we don’t have to wait for the police investigation.

“So the following day, on Sept 19, [the Finance Ministry] issued a letter to the Accountant-General’s Department to take disciplinary action and I was informed this morning that the department has taken initial steps to carry out disciplinary action,” he said. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 13, 2014.