Two Black Eyes for AG and MACC!

by Din Merican

Today is a big day for Dato’ Ramli Yusuff, the former Director of CCID PDRM, who was suspended and made to face several fixed-up charges in 2007 (see previous postings)

At that time, Dato Ramli was about to expose the connection of then IGP Musa Hassan with the loan shark Along syndicates in the case of Goh Cheng Poh @Tengku Goh whom Dato Ramli had arrested when the country was facing theAlong menace . Goh had specifically named Musa Hassan in his affidavits. To cover up for Musa Hassan, AG Gani Patail refused to prepare affidavits for the Police. In the end, the CCID asked for help from lawyer Rosli Dahlan. That landed the poor lawyer into trouble.

Goh had specifically named Musa Hassan in his affidavits

At the same time, Dato Ramli had also recommended to then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli should be charged for various offences in regard to the MAS Scandal. The MAS Scandal came to the surface recently when Minister Dato Seri Nazri Aziz tried to force several GLCs to accept a Global Settlement that would allow Tajudin to be freee from all civil liabilities and indebtedness. Nazri has since said that was just an advice to settle.

Dato Ramli had also recommended to then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli should be charged for various offences in regard to the MAS Scandal.

In the end, Goh Cheng Poh was released and Tajudin remained a free rich man, but Dato Ramli Yusuff and Lawyer Rosli Dahlan were charged for doing their jobs in preventing abuses, corruption and crimes amongst the highest echelons of the country. The Courts have since acquitted both of them from all the charges. But AG Gani Patail was not satisfied and directed the MACC to appeal against all these acquittals.

So, this morning two of the AG/MACC appeals came up before two different High Courts. AG Gani Patail’s oppresiveness can be seen in the manner thatboth the cases are being called at the same time. This was what AG Gani Patail did when he charged Dato Ramli in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu both at the same. How did he expect Dato Ramli to be in two different courts more than 1623 km apart separated by the South China Sea?!

AG Gani Patail's oppresiveness can be seen in the manner that both the cases are being called at the same time. This was what AG Gani Patail did when he charged Dato Ramli in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu both at the same. How did he expect Dato Ramli to be in two different courts more than 1623 km apart separated by the South China Sea?!

That was what AG Gani Patail did to Dato Ramli Yusuff. That was how cruel he behaved. Rosli Dahlan was not spared and was given an even more as cruel treatment. He was assaulted, dragged from his office and paraded in the courts’ corridors [see previous posting]

At 10 am this morning, the first case was that called . This was the MACC’S appeal aganst the acquittal by Sessions Judge M Komathy. High Court Judge Dato Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah was very clear when he said that there was no basis to charge Dato Ramli and to then appeal against the acquittal granted by Judge M Komathy. He chided DPP Ahmad Bache for the appeal.

Judge Dato Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah chided DPP Ahmad Bache for the appeal

Then at 12 noon, Dato Ramli walked across to another Criminal Court presided by Dato Gazali Cha. This was the MACC’as appeal against the acquittal by Sessions Judge M Gunalen. This time, the Judge took great care to read out his judgment and gave a very comperehensive analysis of the law and the evidence. The Judge said that the law permits Dato Ramli to challenge the notice issued by MACC’s DPP Kevin Morais. He then held that there was not an iota of evidence to justify the issuance of any notice against Dato Ramli or to say that Dato Ramli is suspected of any offence. The evidence and investigations by the MACC was very dubious especially since it relied purely on false allegations by a known criminal, one Moo Sai Chin, who was at that time being detained by IGP Musa Hassan. So, clearly Musa Hassan had used this criminal to fix Dato Ramli.

Judge Gazali then dealt with each of the charges to show that all the three charges were fixed up charges. The most startling was the charge about Telekom shares which did not even come within the scope of the time for declaration. It was so obvious to everyone at the gallery that AG Gani Patail and the MACC were grasping at straws to fix up Dato Ramli. So, the good Judge dismissed the AG’S appeal. That ‘s 2-0 in one morning. Yes, two black eyes for the AG and the MACC in one morning today.

Previously, Judge Supang Lian of Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court had also acquitted Dato Ramli in a long trial that took 57 days and 75 witnesses. Musa Hassan was the 75th witness and that Judge did not mince her words when she practically called Musa Hassan, an incumbent IGP, a liar.

Since Malaysia is still in football fever having beaten Indonesia twice in the SEA Games, in football terms, the score between AG/MACC vs Dato Ramli Yusuff is 3-0. But if you add up all the appeals that AG Gani Patail and MACC had lost, the score would be much higher!

As Muslims celebrate Awal Muharram tomorrow night, this must surely be the best Muslim New Year present for Dato Ramli Yusuff. This would be a real Maal Hijrah celebration for him as the years of darkness have come to an end. He had been tested and he had passed admirably. He had overcome all trials and tribulations. Hopefully, the Government can prevail on AG Gani Patail to close persecution and not to pursue any further appeals which would just be an exercise in futility. Restore Dato Ramli to his rank and entitlements. Give him a Paluan Berundur Panglima ( Warrior’s Retreat March) and end all these injustice! May God Bless Dato Ramli and his family!

I wish all Muslim readers, a very happy, prosperous and peaceful Islamic New Year (1st Muharram 1433 Hijrah).Let's make self assessment and reflection (muhasabah) on past one year we lived through in order to improve ourselves in the coming years!