Musa faces police report, RM100m suit

Businessman Robert Phang plans to sue Musa for RM100 million for making allegations against himself and the police force.

PETALING JAYA: Businessman Robert Phang revealed today that he has lodged a police report against former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan over his allegations of corruption against the former as well as the police force.

“I want the police to look into Musa’s claims as well as to investigate me to confirm whether I [abused my power] so that my integrity and that of PDRM is maintained,” he told reporters here today.

He is also planning to sue Musa for RM100 million should the latter fail to apologise within seven days.

“My lawyers have sent him a letter of demand to retract and apologise for his false statements against me,” Phang said.

“The letter of demand is against whatever he said about myself and the police force,” he said.

“I am giving him seven days to come forward to state an apology. Seven days. Otherwise, I will definitely exercise my right and sue him,” he said.

Phang said that Musa had received the letter yesterday and had already signed and acknowledged it.

He added the purpose of the lawsuit was to “guide” Musa to tell the truth, and that the latter was a “spiteful man who spreads falsehood.”

Alleged involvement in project

Musa recently resurfaced in the media spotlight with claims that criminal elements existed in the police force, and that ministers actively meddled in police investigations.

The ex-top cop also accused Phang of abusing his authority to transfer a senior police officer in order to speed up the deployment of a project the latter was backing.

The project in 2009 involved the replacement of more than 30,000 new walkie-talkies for beat policemen, police stations and vehicles nationwide, and according to Musa was worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Even though Phang has admitted that he was appointed as an independent advisor to the telecommunications company awarded the contract, he has publically denied Musa’s claims and even thanked the ex top-cop for describing him as a supernatural man.

In the police report lodged yesterday, a copy of which was made available to the media, Phang wrote: “I vehemently deny that I have caused anyone to be transferred for whatever reason.”

“This is a serious allegation against me and PDRM and an offence under Section 500 of the Penal Code appears to be committed,” he added.

A slew of wrongdoings

Phang told reporters today he had also included in the police report a copy of a statutory declaration (SD) made by Musa’s former aide, ASP Noor Azizul Rahim Taharim.

The document accused Musa of a slew of wrongdoings during his tenure and exposed how Musa had allegedly manipulated the police succession hierarchy with his associate, an underworld figure known as BK Tan, as well as silencing critics with transfers and trumped up charges.

“I also asked the police to seriously investigate Azizul’s SD. Azizul was Musa’s aide, and if a policeman gives a SD, it is by law a very valid document,” said Phang.

“Azizul was very close to Musa; he must be telling the truth! The PDRM cannot keep their eyes closed. They must investigate this to restore the good name of the police,” he added.

He stressed that should the police refuse to investigate, it would derail all efforts by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s administration to clean up the police force and fight graft.

“They say we are changing, transforming, but changing to what? You don’t even dare to investigate Azizul’s SD, and that will receive a lot of flak,” he added.

He also pointed out that even up to today, he had not been informed of the results of a police probe into allegations of corruption regarding Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, which were detailed in a book titled “Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail: Pemalsu, Penipu, Penjenayah?” (Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail: Fraud, Liar, Criminal?)

Phang had lodged the report in August this year with the hope that the authorities would investigate the AG’s alleged abuse of power as claimed by lawyer Zainal Abidin Ahmad.