Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (July 21): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied suggestions by website Malaysia Today that leaks about its probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the bank accounts of the prime minister's wife came from within the anti-graft agency.

MACC also cleared a former member of its Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB), Tan Sri Rashpal Singh, of any wrongdoing as reported by Malaysia Today, which alleged that the ex anti-graft panelist had leaked information to whistle-blower website Sarawak Report.

Malaysia Today, run by UK-based blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, alleged that Rashpal had leaked information in two articles titled "Return of the Jedi: The Return Match for Najib" on July 18 and "Plumber Wanted: To plug the leak in the Special Task Force" published yesterday.

But MACC director of strategic communications Datuk Rohaizan Yaakob said Rashpal had no access to its ongoing investigations into the debt-ridden state fund as his tenure as ACAB member had ended on February 24 this year.

Members of the advisory board, which is an independent oversight body, were also not privy to confidential investigation information, Rohaizad said in a statement today.

"Members of the panel can obtain such information upon request, for purposes of seeking clarification on certain issues or cases during the meetings of respective panels.

"Related to the 1MDB case, Tan Sri Rashpal has no access at all because currently he is not a member of any independent oversight body that monitors and advises on the functions and operations of the MACC," Rohaizad said.

Malaysia Today also alleged that Rashpal had met with Sarawak Report founder and editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown in London on the eve of Hari Raya, purportedly to discuss how the former could hand over information regarding the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, to the whistle-blower website.

Another allegation said there were people inside the government's special task force investigating 1MDB who were providing information to Sarawak Report and The Edge.

Malaysia Today alleged that Rashpal's name kept "popping up" at the "centre of the leaks" and said he had been removed from his post due to certain breaches.

But Rohaizad said that Rashpal had served the ACAB for the maximum of two terms over six years, as stipulated in the MACC Act 2009, as such claims that he was removed due to certain breaches were incorrect.

The government task force investigating 1MDB is also probing claims by The Wall Street Journal that nearly US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was channelled into Datuk Seri Najib Razak's accounts, as well as another RM2 million allegedly channelled into Rosmah's account.

The discovery of money going into Rosmah's accounts was made from investigation documents on 1MDB, according to Sarawak Report.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed is a member of the high-level task force.

Other members are Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

 

 

 

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