Acquittal of Guan Eng raises red flags, says C4

(The Sun Daily) – C4 Center has expressed surprise that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng was acquitted of his corruption charge by the High Court earlier today.

This puzzling turn of events raises questions about how independent government institutions are free from partisan interest in Malaysia, its Executive Director Cynthia Gabriel said in a statement today.

It underscores the need for clarification over the initial charge, she added.

“(Former Attorney-General) Tan Sri Apandi Ali, was so confident in leading the prosecution of Lim,” Cynthia said. “But if the then attorney-general was so certain in the case, how can it be so easily dropped by the High Court today?

“Either the previous attorney-general was coerced to press charges in court, or the system is always stacked in favour of the existing government.”

C4 Center had earlier highlighted that Lim needed, in the name of good governance, to be cleared of corruption charges before he could assume his ministerial post.

The ease of which he was acquitted, even when the prosecution asked for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, raises highly suspicious flags, she said.

“C4 Center, as an organisation championing anti-corruption and accountable governance, is concerned that our venerable institutions are subject to political inteference and/or partisan motivations when it comes to corruption,” she said.

“We are concerned that politicians who have actually betrayed the public trust may be allowed back in to the system, while others may have to suffer from trumped-up charges in the interest of defending political supremacy rather than the public interest.”

This development in this case begs transparent explanations from the MACC and the AGC.

“If they’re expressing shock, then they are pushing the responsibility solely to the AG’s chambers,” she added.

“If they believed there was a case, MACC must explain to the public of the initial reasons for recommending charges to be pressed in the first place. We may also need to consider disciplinary sanctions over this imbroglio.”

MACC and the AGC (acting as public prosecutor) must act without fear of political repercussions, and neither for wish of currying political favour, she added.

As a result, the public needs to be reassured that the originating evidence and motivations in MACC’s investigation papers are valid, she said.

“Otherwise, if the charges are revealed to be politically motivated, then there is a pressing need for greater reform in insulating Malaysian institutions from political inteference,” Cynthia said.

“One method, which C4 Center has long been advocating, is by separating the public prosecutor’s office from the attorney-general’s purview.

“The government and institutions of the day should set precedent by considering disciplinary/punitive action against those responsible for either bringing up spurious, politically-motivated charges, or for allowing the ball to drop on corruption.

“Public confidence in the independence of these institutions must be restored, and otherwise, no change from the previous (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak’s) regime who shamelessly trampled upon and compromised these institutions. Urgent steps must be taken to instill independence and insulate them from partisan politics of the day.”