Ex-aide damns ex-IGP in SD

In his statutory declaration, Musa Hassan's former aide claims that the ex-IGP had betrayed his oath of office by indulging in a slew of wrongdoings.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian police force’s image continues to plummet as allegations of serious misconduct pour in against its top brass.

The police force, which is ailing from a serious public confidence crisis, was dealt another black eye last week by none other than its former chief Musa Hassan.

The former inspector-general, whom detractors had accused of having several closets laden with skeletons himself, claimed that criminal elements had infiltrated the force.

Pointing the finger at Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Musa also charged that politicians interfered with investigations.

But his successor Ismail Omar downplayed the allegations as unimportant while Hishammuddin questioned the timing of Musa’s revelations which came during the Umno annual general assembly.

The snub by his successor led an infuriated Musa, who had described Ismail as a “good man” just hours before, to denounce him as a “snob” later.

Amid this raging controversy, a statutory declaration (SD) made in 2009 had now re-surfaced.

The document accused Musa of a slew of wrongdoings during his tenure and exposed how he had purportedly ruled with an iron fist, silencing critics with transfers and trumped-up charges.

The SD was by police officer Noor Azizul Rahim Taharim, who served as Musa’s aide de camp from 2005 to 2007.

Azizul claimed that during the period which he served under Musa, he had witnessed numerous things which caused him to lose confidence in the latter’s leadership.

Likening his former boss to a “pengkhianat” (traitor), he said: “Many of his [Musa's] actions undermined the integrity and credibility of PDRM…”

“On many occasions, I observed that the public persona displayed by Musa was opposite to his private conduct. Musa’s actions constituted an act of betrayal of his oath of office,” he added.

‘Manipulation of promotions and postings’

Azizul claimed that former CID director Christopher Wan had revealed to him that Musa had directed the setting up of a covert blog to publish allegations of corruption against then deputy home minister Johari Baharom.

The contents of the blog, he said, damaged Johari’s reputation and subjected him to a probe by the then Anti-Corruption Agency (now known as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission).

“I am also aware of the statutory declarations made by several policemen, police informants and subjects of police actions showing links between Musa and the underworld, specifically concerning restricted residence detainee Goh Cheng Poh @ Tongku and one shadowy figure, BK Tan.

“Based on my personal knowledge and involvement as the ADC to the IGP, I can confirm that the statements made by these deponents concerning Musa were true…,” he alleged.

Referring to the SDs of ASP Mior Fahim Ahmad and ASP Hong Kin Hock, Azizul confirmed that their allegations had basis.

The pair had claimed that there was manipulation of promotions, ranks and postings in the PDRM involving BK Tan.

“I have personal knowledge and involvement in that I was asked to compile and coordinate such posting orders based on the drafts and proposals made by BK Tan.

“Officers were transferred to achieve certain objectives. In some cases, there were ‘entrapments’ that made certain officers appear guilty of wrongdoings. In others, allegations were made against certain officers that resulted in them being given 24-hour transfer orders or short notice transfers.

“This gave the impression that Musa was eradicating corruption and abuses within PDRM… in most cases that was the furthest from the truth,” said Azizul.

“The credibility of these officers would be ‘demolished’ such that whatsoever information they gathered about Musa would be discredited. These officers would suffer hardship being transferred away from their families and home base. They would also get bypassed in promotions and suffer disciplinary action without the proper process.

“Consequently, less able officers climbed the ranks and the victimised officers were used as warnings against others… This process of ‘mecantas’ [pruning] explains the apparent lack of ability by PDRM to tackle crime, the lack of motivation and low morale within PDRM that saw crime escalating at an alarming rate during Musa’s tenure,” he added.

‘Government was fully behind him’

Azizul revealed that he had informed various individuals, both within and outside the police force, regarding this matter but nothing was done to curb Musa.

Among those he had turned to included former IGP Haniff Omar and ex-home minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

“I also informed former CCD [commercial crime department] director Ramli Yussuf, whom I knew had been Musa’s superior for six years and who at the time was investigating some money-lending syndicate.

“I believe that Ramli would have reported the information to the deputy home minister within the scope of his investigations on the money-lending syndicate,” he said.

However, Azizul said nothing could be done against Musa when former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave him a two-year extension in 2007.

“This served as a powerful endorsement that the government was fully behind Musa. A sense of fear also gripped many within PDRM and outside when not long after that in October 2007, the lawyer who assisted CCD [Ramli] in the Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku matter [after the AG Chambers declined to prepare affidavits for the CCD], was himself arrested in a most humiliating manner and charged one day before Aidilfitri.

“The message was clear that Musa had the support of the ACA, the attorney-general and the prime minister in all his actions. The fear among officers in PDRM became the need for self-preservation after six rank and file policemen including Ramli were charged with various offences. Not long after that, the AG ordered the release of the said Goh Cheng Ph @ Tongku.

“Many in PDRM became demoralised that a criminal was released by resorting to legal niceties whereas our own fellow brothers were charged,” he added.

Meanwhile, former MACC adviser Robert Phang, who took Azizul to meet ex-IGP Haniff over his SD, said that Azizul was not willing to come out into the open.

“However, if a royal commission of inquiry was set up to probe the matter, then Azizul would be willing to testify,” he told FMT.