Councillors lodge report against graft allegations

A 'suggestive' online report involving an alleged cash bribe has compelled three Penang Pakatan Rakyat councillors to declare their innocence.

GEORGE TOWN: Three Penang City Councillors lodged a police report today against an online article which alleged that they had taken bribes.

The Pakatan Rakyat MPPP councilors – Ong Ah Teong, Prem Anand and Tahir Jalaluddin Hussain – have all denied the allegation that appeared in an online Chinese portal on Dec 21.

All three have insisted that they are innocent and to prove this made the police report today.

They were accompanied by their legal counsel and DAP’s Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo (photo) at the Patani Road police station.

The trio have urged police to investigate the claims under Section 500 for criminal defamation.

The online portal reported that a businesswoman had claimed to have paid RM25,000 to a councillor in return for immunity as she was operating her business without a valid council licence.

The woman claimed to have met and “bribed” a councillor at a cafe in Komtar early this month.

Although the article did not name the councilor, photographs of Ong, Prem and Tahir were put up by the online portal.

“It seems to suggest they were involved in bribery,” Jagdeep told newsmen.

He said it was crucial for the trio to lodge the police report to prove “their innocence and clear their names.”

He said the three councillors may consider legal action if police probe cleared them from any wrongdoings.

Besides this case, Jagdeep also urged the police to probe if any other councillors took bribes from any quarters.

“It is a very serious allegation that can reflect badly on the state government,” said Jagdeep.

Ong, who is the MPPP public health committee alternate chairman, promised to cooperate with the police.

He said he would try to obtain video footages of a closed circuit television camera (CCTV) from the cafe where the businesswoman claimed she had passed the “cash bribe” to the councillor.

He suggested that the businesswoman lodge a police report in relation to her allegations.

“We need evidence and proof, not just wild allegations to tarnish the image of MPPP and the state government,” he said.