‘No black or white knight, just truth’

Ex CCID chief Ramli Yusuff strikes back at his rival, Musa Hassan, for claiming that the former is trying to be the saviour of the police force.

PETALING JAYA: Former CCID chief Ramli Yusuff today dismissed claims by former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan that he is attempting to paint himself as the saviour of the police force.

“There is no black knight, white knight in the equation at all. It is just an issue of me telling the truth.

“If you (Musa) want to attack someone in the police force, we ex-police officers are responsible to say something about it as well,” he told FMT.

Ramli was referring to Musa’s recent allegations that ministers had attempted to interfere with police investigations during the latter’s time in the force – a practice which Musa claims continues unabated even under Ismail Omar’s current reign as IGP.

In response to Musa’s “revelations”, Ramli told reporters that Musa himself had ties with underworld figures such as Goh Cheng Poh, or Tengku Goh, and this raised Musa’s ire.

“From the outside, it seems like [Ramli is] the white knight, saviour of PDRM [Royal Malaysian Police]… while I’m the black knight who is destroying PDRM… the picture has been painted as such,” Musa had said at a press conference last week.

However, Ramli rubbished such a notion and said that his criticism was merely a response to Musa’s “open disturbance” of the police force.

“When you have retired, your days are over. You don’t disturb. Your successors have their own way of doing things. You are gone, so why do you want to disturb?” said Ramli today.

He added that if Musa sincerely intended to combat criminal elements and ministerial interference in the police force, he would have met with the IGP personally to discuss this issue, rather than humiliate everyone by turning to the media.

“You don’t have to say these kind of things in the open. These are internal matters. Musa could have discussed it discreetly with Ismail, meet up with him, tell him nicely.

“Or he could have gone through our associations,” Ramli pointed out.

Instead, Musa had told reporters that Ismail was a “yes-man” and a “snob”, and even described how, in 2008, Ismail had allegedly wept by his bedside after obeying then-home minister Syed Hamid Albar’s orders to arrest a Sin Chew Daily reporter under the Internal Security Act.

“Both Musa and Ismail served under me directly for six years, I know both of them well because I put up their yearly confidential report,” said Ramli.

“I know how they are, they each have different personalities and own way of doing things. So Musa cannot expect Ismail to follow in his footsteps,” he added.

Wealth declared

On Musa’s claim that Ramli was being backed by powerful figures who were providing the latter with a platform to “attack” Musa, Ramli replied: “I don’t need any backing, I am fighting for justice.”

“If I know something is not right, I come out and say it. I don’t need any backing, I can stand on my own and I am senior enough to stand on my own,” stressed the ex-CCID chief.

Ramli also dismissed Musa’s accusations that he had amassed wealth unbefitting of a police officer, saying that he had already explained himself previously.

“The former IGP requested me to answer to the public my asset or wealth of personal finance. I have done so under Section 32. I have explained how I acquired my assets to the ACA and I was never charged for corruption,” Ramli was quoted as saying by media reports earlier this week.

“I have informed my superiors of the purchases and selling of assets including shares, cars, property and land since I started service in 1970.

“It took me one and half months to prepare what the ACA required. Before I submit my declaration, it was also examined by the CCID forensic accounting section, and later certified by public accountants before handing it to the ACA.”

He had also said that the allegations of owned properties and wealth as alleged by blogger Bigdogdotcom, were absolute lies, exaggerated to paint a negative picture of him.

His declaration, Ramli, said had stated his current assets of which he was still continuing to pay loans with banks.