MACC was asked to focus only on Zahid Hamidi and on none of the others
(Malaysiakini) – The MACC has been urged to reveal details on why investigations on bribes paid by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) focussed on Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi only. In a statement, lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said this was necessary to protect MACC’s reputation.
“MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki and Attorney-General Idrus Harun (should) issue an official statement to bring clarity,” he said.
Haniff was commenting on a Free Malaysia Today article yesterday which cited a source claiming that the MACC had investigated some individuals mentioned in a ledger kept by UKSB. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said MACC had, a few years ago, looked into some of the names mentioned in a ledger kept by a former UKSB manager.
Among others, the source claimed that Khairy Jamaluddin, Muhyiddin Yassin, and a nephew of a former prime minister were among those investigated, but there was no case to be built against them.
“There were also businesspersons who received money. But we were instructed at the time to just focus on Zahid. But now we are continuing where we left off and probing everyone mentioned in the ledger again,” said the source, according to FMT.
‘Selective prosecution’
The MACC has come under fire for selective prosecution after several former UKSB directors testified at the Shah Alam High Court that they paid Zahid and several other political figures. The most prominent allegation was that UKSB paid RM1.3 million to Muhyiddin Yassin when he was home minister in 2018, leading to calls for him to be prosecuted.
After the outcry, the MACC vowed to investigate everyone named in a purported ledger kept by UKSB’s bosses.
In a related development, Umno supreme council member Razlan Rafii urged the authorities to investigate former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya for alleged collusion and protecting those named in the ledger.
At the time, Muhyiddin was allied with Pakatan Harapan, which appointed Latheefa as chief commissioner on June 4, 2019. Zahid was charged three weeks later.
