Lawyer questions the silence of police over report against MACC

Lawyer Haniff Khatri has questioned the alleged silence of the police over a report lodged by an aide to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on harassment by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers while being questioned as a witness.

In a statement, Haniff (above) pointed out that Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed had said on Wednesday that investigations are ongoing over MACC's counter-report to deny the harassment claims made by Siti Nurul Hidayah Shaziman.

At the same time, Haniff said, Huzir also confirmed ongoing investigations against Bersatu Youth information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamuddin over his Facebook post that purportedly defamed the MACC.

"First I would like to congratulate the police for confirming that they had initiated investigations against the duo...

"However, what is odd from the statements by Huzir that I referred to is the absence of confirmation from the same police officer that an initial police report made by the special assistant to Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq (Nurul Hidayah) against MACC have been investigated or otherwise.

"It would be good, and just, for the police, through Huzir or other officers in charge of investigating the report (by Nurul Hidayah, below), to also confirm and provide assurance that similar actions have also been taken, because police can only obtain a just outcome if both police reports or all related reports are jointly probed," Haniff said.

He said the failure by Huzir or the police to confirm the matter could raise unwanted perception in the public's mind of actions being taken to only investigate MACC's counter-report, and not the original report against the anti-corruption body.

"That negative perception will not help to convince the people as to whether the authorities are abiding by the principle of sovereignty of law or otherwise, which by right must be followed by all, particularly by law enforcement officers," he stressed.

Huzir, at a press conference in Bukit Aman, had confirmed that both Ulya and Nurul Hidayah are being investigated by Bukit Aman's Classified Criminal Investigations Department.

Ulya, in his Facebook posting, had claimed that the graft busters' probe and arrests of Bersatu executive council members were meant to silence members who previously questioned the party's top leadership.

Nurul Hidayah, meanwhile, claimed that she was intimidated by MACC officers while being questioned at its headquarters in Putrajaya.

The duo had previously been questioned, separately, as witnesses by MACC in connection with its probe into cash missing from Syed Saddiq's home. - Mkini