Come home to assist in probe, MACC tells James Chai

 The anti-graft agency says cooperation with law enforcement authorities is a basic obligation of any citizen when required to assist an investigation.

James Chai said MACC’s officers could have reached out to him through his friends or former colleagues if they really could not contact him. (MACC pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has called on James Chai, a former aide to ex-economy minister Rafizi Ramli, to immediately contact its investigating officers and return to Malaysia to assist in an ongoing investigation.

MACC said Chai has yet to respond to multiple attempts by investigating officers to reach him or present himself at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.

“If Chai maintains that he has committed no wrongdoing, the proper course of action is clear – he should present himself to MACC investigators and provide his statement, rather than issue public explanations while avoiding direct engagement with the investigation,” it said in a statement this evening.

The commission listed the names and contact numbers of the investigating officers – Abdullah Sani A Latib (+60182868684), Hafidz Halim (+60175046503), Ahmad Rizal Samat (+6013433 4500), Farahani Fauz (+60113343 5523) and Mohamed Ali Ahamed Ali (+6017300 3699).

It said cooperation with law enforcement authorities is a basic obligation of any citizen when required to assist an investigation, and public narratives and media statements cannot replace the legal process of investigating cases.

It also said all its investigations are conducted professionally, independently, and based on evidence, stressing that “no one is above the law”.

On Wednesday, MACC issued a public search notice for Chai, who was a special functions officer to Rafizi when he was the economy minister.

Chai is currently working in the UK.

While the notice did not specify the reason for summoning Chai, it follows a recent investigation into alleged misconduct related to a RM1.1 billion government deal with Arm Holdings signed in March last year.

Chai criticised the search notice, which displayed the address of his childhood home, saying it was excessive and appeared to be intended to portray him as a fugitive with something to hide.

He also said the agency’s officers could have reached out to him through his friends or former colleagues in government if they really could not contact him.

However, MACC said its investigating officers made several attempts to contact him before the notice was issued, and that one officer’s telephone number was even blocked by Chai on WhatsApp on Feb 26.

The agency also said attempts to portray normal investigative procedures as acts of persecution were unwarranted, and that Chai should cooperate with its investigation if he had nothing to hide. - FMT