Police: MACC can grill civil servants anywhere

(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor's top policeman says the state government's policy that MACC interviews of public servants must be conducted in their offices and in the presence of legal advisers is not valid.

Deputy Commissioner Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the power of enforcement agency officers to question suspects was not limited to certain locations.

"Although I have not received any such directive from the state government, I think it is improper as it limits or prohibits civil servants from carrying out their duties."

He said he would not abide by the directive if it was issued to the police.

He was commenting on the arrest of Wong Chuan How by MACC at his office in Sungai Pelek, near Sepang, on Friday. Wong is the assistant to Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu and a Sepang municipal councillor.

Wong was detained to assist MACC's investigations into the misappropriation of constituency allocations totalling more than RM200,000.

He was reported to have resisted arrest, citing the directive issued by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on July 22.

He sustained minor leg injuries in a scuffle with the arresting officers and was taken to Serdang Hospital for treatment.

Khalid confirmed that both Wong and MACC had lodged separate reports, and investigations into the allegations made by both parties have begun.

"Wong will be investigated for obstructing a civil servant from carrying out his duties and also insulting a civil servant," Khalid said after launching the Anti-Drug and Anti-Crime campaign at South City Plaza, in Seri Kembangan.

Khalid also said four of the six sets of fingerprints found on an envelope containing a death threat to MACC chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan were incomplete.

"Only two sets of fingerprints are clear.

"They have been sent for DNA testing," said Khalid.