Mahathir interfered in the Tok Mat corruption prosecution
The ball is now at Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s feet. He can continue to KIV Tok Mat’s three criminal charges, like Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin before him. But he will need to explain to Malaysians why Tok Mat’s three criminal charges are being KIV and why Tok Mat is not being arrested and put on trial.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Pakatan Harapan’s Attorney-General, Tommy Thomas, had prepared three charges against Umno leader Mohamad Hasan a.k.a. Tok Mat.
The first charge — under Seksyen 4(1)(a) Akta Pencegahan Pengubahan Wang Haram dan Pencegahan Pembiayaan Keganasan 2001 (Akta 613) — is that on 3rd July 2008, Tok Mat had transferred RM9,742,500.00 of his illegal gains to his bank account number 08182736 at Natwest Bank, UK, through Salamath Ali Money Changer, bank account 1430-0001-253-053, CIMB Bank, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The punishment upon conviction is RM5 million fine or five years jail or both.
The second charge — under Seksyen 4(1)(a) Akta Pencegahan Pengubahan Wang Haram dan Pencegahan Pembiayaan Keganasan 2001 (Akta 613) — is that on 18th July 2008, Tok Mat had transferred £1,056,885.59 of his illegal gains to the bank account of Wingate Wong LLP HSBC, UK, through Salamath Ali Money Changer, bank account 1430-0001-253-053, CIMB Bank, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The punishment upon conviction is RM5 million fine or five years jail or both.
The third charge — under Seksyen 4(1)(a) Akta Pencegahan Pengubahan Wang Haram dan Pencegahan Pembiayaan Keganasan 2001 (Akta 613) — is that on 18th July 2008, Tok Mat had transferred £440,000.00 of his illegal gains to his bank account at CIMB, London, UK, through Salamath Ali Money Changer, bank account 1430-0001-253-053, CIMB Bank, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The punishment upon conviction is RM5 million fine or five years jail or both.
Tommy Thomas wanted to proceed with charging Tok Mat, and he brought this matter to the attention of Pakatan Harapan Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Dr Mahathir, however, told Tommy Thomas to KIV the matter for the meantime.
Mahathir explained that if Najib Tun Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi lose their cases and get sent to jail, then Umno will need a new leader. So they need Tok Mat to remain outside jail so that he can take over as the new Umno leader.
Mahathir’s plan was for Umno and Bersatu to eventually merge or to have some sort of electoral pact or coalition — as Bersatu versus both Umno and PAS fighting over the Malay votes was not viable. So he needed a new Umno leader to take over after Najib and Zahid go to jail. And the only Umno leader Mahathir could control or depend on is Tok Mat.
Mahathir was not sure if someone other than Tok Mat took over whether Umno and Bersatu will be able to do a deal. With Tok Mat, Mahathir knew he could control Umno.
So Tommy Thomas held back the prosecution against Tok Mat. And they spread the rumour that the case has been marked NFA (no further action), which is what the Umno boys are saying today. Actually, it was not NFA but KIV, which means the file is still active or open and the charges against Tok Mat can be filed any time they feel he is no longer useful to their plans.
What they did not take into consideration was that Mahathir or Pakatan Harapan would fall in February 2020. And that now poses a problem because they left in a hurry with so many loose ends. And one of these loose ends are the three criminal charges against Tok Mat.
The ball is now at Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s feet. He can continue to KIV Tok Mat’s three criminal charges, like Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin before him. But he will need to explain to Malaysians why Tok Mat’s three criminal charges are being KIV and why Tok Mat is not being arrested and put on trial.
