The prosecution has withdrawn its appeal over a summons charge against former Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Ramli Yusuff at the Court of Appeal recently.
Following this, the government has agreed to pay Ramli’s backdated gratuity and pension, amounting to RM753,000, which had been withheld after he was suspended three months before he was due to retire in late 2007.
Ramli told Malaysiakini that he had received a letter dated July 12 informing him of the prosecution’s withdrawal.
“This is the last of five charges which I had wrongly been accused of since 2007,” he said.
“I have pledged to use all this gratuity money received to help build a mosque in my hometown of Kampung Bunut Susu, Pasir Mas. I have made this pledge since being charged as I want my name cleared,” said the former top cop.
Following this, the government has agreed to pay Ramli’s backdated gratuity and pension, amounting to RM753,000, which had been withheld after he was suspended three months before he was due to retire in late 2007.
Ramli told Malaysiakini that he had received a letter dated July 12 informing him of the prosecution’s withdrawal.
“This is the last of five charges which I had wrongly been accused of since 2007,” he said.
“I have pledged to use all this gratuity money received to help build a mosque in my hometown of Kampung Bunut Susu, Pasir Mas. I have made this pledge since being charged as I want my name cleared,” said the former top cop.
Initially the prosecution’s appeal to the summons charge has been fixed for Aug 22 at the Court of Appeal, and although the letter from the prosecution was dated July 12, he received it on July 23.
Ramli said he had been cleared before nine judges in total for the five charges which he had faced in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.
“It’s been a long road of five years where I had to find lawyers and find funds for them to clear my name,” he said.
Ramli was alleged to be the RM27 million cop by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) way back in 2007 following his team’s investigations into what is now known as the Copgate affair allegedly involving then-inspector-general of police Musa Hassan, and which also allegedly involved attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.
Earlier today, the MACC withdrew its appeal against lawyer Rosli Dahlan’s acquittal at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Ramli said he had been cleared before nine judges in total for the five charges which he had faced in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.
“It’s been a long road of five years where I had to find lawyers and find funds for them to clear my name,” he said.
Ramli was alleged to be the RM27 million cop by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) way back in 2007 following his team’s investigations into what is now known as the Copgate affair allegedly involving then-inspector-general of police Musa Hassan, and which also allegedly involved attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.
Earlier today, the MACC withdrew its appeal against lawyer Rosli Dahlan’s acquittal at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Served with dedication
Ramli had in 2007 faced three charges in Kuala Lumpur over allegedly failing to declare his assets and another on violating laws prohibiting civil servants from being involved in private business, which is his summons charge.
He was also acquitted of a charge of abuse of power when as Sabah police chief he allegedly used a Royal Malaysian Police Cessna Caravan aircraft to fly him and Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mohamad Yasin Yahya on aerial surveillance of two parcels of land in Ulu Tungku and Lahad Datu.
The former top cop said he had served with the police force for 37 years, 10 months and 23 days and he served the country with full dedication before he was charged.
“My investigation diary has been used as a manual by the police force to teach young recruits. I had worked to enforce the law without fear and favour,” he said.
“In Sabah where I was a former state police chief, we had managed to reduce the arrival of illegal immigrants and hence reduce crime. My record as Pahang police chief also speak for itself,” he said.
Ramli also revealed that former Sabah chief minister Chong Kah Kiat, who attended his birthday celebration earlier this year, had paid tribute to his good record and said that if he (Ramli) stood for election in Sabah he would win.
‘Respect whistleblowers’
Ramli also had strong words to the government and enforcement agencies to respect and protect whistleblowers.
“I can relate to what is happening with (PKR strategic director) Mohd Rafizi Ramli and the former bank clerk who were chargedyesterday, as my men had faced the same things,” he said.
“The authorities should go after the real criminals and not those who reveal it. They are allegedly disclosing a real crime (with regards to the National Feedlot Corporation) fiasco,” he said.
When Ramli was charged, six of his police officers who had investigated the then-inspector-general of police Musa Hassan’s alleged links with kingpin Goh Cheng Poh or Tengku Goh, were also charged with allegedly falsifying witness statements.
They have since been released without their defence being called and the prosecution had also dropped its case against them.
They had been suspended when they were undergoing trial. Although they were reinstated last year, some of them had worked as taxi drivers to make ends meet.
Ramli had, during his birthday speech in a leap year, paid tribute to these men whom he called “fearless officers”.
“All of them have been reinstated and promoted. I am glad that the (police) force has not forsaken them,” said the former top cop during his 60th birthday speech on Feb 29.
He also related how the MACC had allegedly used a shady character to implicate him with the 2007 charge.
‘AG very vindictive’
In his Copgate allegation, Ramli had stated how attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail had used the then-Anti Corruption Commission, which is now the MACC, to harass whistleblowers who had implicated Musa with Tengku Goh to reverse their statements.
However, these whistleblowers had also met former deputy home minister Johari Baharom, complaining that they had been asked to turn over, and had also drawn up affidavits to state that what they had stated earlier to Ramli’s officers were correct.
Ramli told Malaysiakini that Abdul Gani was very vindictive against him.
“I have been acquitted and yet they have decided to appeal until they agreed to withdraw the final case,” he said.
He said despite retiring he will continue to serve the people. He has also been a practising lawyer since he was charged.
Ramli had in 2007 faced three charges in Kuala Lumpur over allegedly failing to declare his assets and another on violating laws prohibiting civil servants from being involved in private business, which is his summons charge.
He was also acquitted of a charge of abuse of power when as Sabah police chief he allegedly used a Royal Malaysian Police Cessna Caravan aircraft to fly him and Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mohamad Yasin Yahya on aerial surveillance of two parcels of land in Ulu Tungku and Lahad Datu.
The former top cop said he had served with the police force for 37 years, 10 months and 23 days and he served the country with full dedication before he was charged.
“My investigation diary has been used as a manual by the police force to teach young recruits. I had worked to enforce the law without fear and favour,” he said.
“In Sabah where I was a former state police chief, we had managed to reduce the arrival of illegal immigrants and hence reduce crime. My record as Pahang police chief also speak for itself,” he said.
Ramli also revealed that former Sabah chief minister Chong Kah Kiat, who attended his birthday celebration earlier this year, had paid tribute to his good record and said that if he (Ramli) stood for election in Sabah he would win.
‘Respect whistleblowers’
Ramli also had strong words to the government and enforcement agencies to respect and protect whistleblowers.
“I can relate to what is happening with (PKR strategic director) Mohd Rafizi Ramli and the former bank clerk who were chargedyesterday, as my men had faced the same things,” he said.
“The authorities should go after the real criminals and not those who reveal it. They are allegedly disclosing a real crime (with regards to the National Feedlot Corporation) fiasco,” he said.
When Ramli was charged, six of his police officers who had investigated the then-inspector-general of police Musa Hassan’s alleged links with kingpin Goh Cheng Poh or Tengku Goh, were also charged with allegedly falsifying witness statements.
They have since been released without their defence being called and the prosecution had also dropped its case against them.
They had been suspended when they were undergoing trial. Although they were reinstated last year, some of them had worked as taxi drivers to make ends meet.
Ramli had, during his birthday speech in a leap year, paid tribute to these men whom he called “fearless officers”.
“All of them have been reinstated and promoted. I am glad that the (police) force has not forsaken them,” said the former top cop during his 60th birthday speech on Feb 29.
He also related how the MACC had allegedly used a shady character to implicate him with the 2007 charge.
‘AG very vindictive’
In his Copgate allegation, Ramli had stated how attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail had used the then-Anti Corruption Commission, which is now the MACC, to harass whistleblowers who had implicated Musa with Tengku Goh to reverse their statements.
However, these whistleblowers had also met former deputy home minister Johari Baharom, complaining that they had been asked to turn over, and had also drawn up affidavits to state that what they had stated earlier to Ramli’s officers were correct.
Ramli told Malaysiakini that Abdul Gani was very vindictive against him.
“I have been acquitted and yet they have decided to appeal until they agreed to withdraw the final case,” he said.
He said despite retiring he will continue to serve the people. He has also been a practising lawyer since he was charged.
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