Ex-cop continues pressure against minister for ‘zakat abuse’

By Shannon Teoh

December 28, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim called today on his former police colleagues to be consistent by investigating Umno minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and two others for allegedly abusing zakat funds, with the same vigour they had shown in pursuing a tithe collector for the same offence recently.

The former Kuala Lumpur CID chief wrote to the Inspector-General of Police today saying Johor police had taken pains to investigate and locate Reduan Mohd Said including publishing his photograph in newspapers for misappropriating RM19,510 in zakat money.

“Kuala Lumpur Police should also take the same action in the misappropriation of RM32,150 in zakat money by Jamil, Datuk Che Mat Che Ali and Shamsuddin Hussain,” he wrote, referring to the minister in the prime minister’s department, the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) director and chief prosecutor respectively.

Mat Zain had said yesterday the minister in charge of Islamic affairs and the duo should face legal action for using zakat funds to settle personal legal fees last year as recorded in the Auditor-General’s report for 2010.

According to the report, Jamil, Che Mat and Shamsudin had withdrawn RM63,650 from the council’s zakat fund to settle their legal costs. The costs were incurred when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim named the trio as respondents in his qazaf application.

However, the audit report also confirmed that the sum was repaid to the fund after the council obtained a RM700,00 grant in June last year as part of its general resources allocation from the government.

But, citing legal provisions, Mat Zain insisted the trio had committed misappropriation of property under Section 403 of the Penal Code and should be punished accordingly.

He also cited Section 409B of the Penal Code, which states that if any offence prescribed in Section 403 and 404 is proven, “it shall be presumed that he had acted dishonestly until the contrary is proved”.

Mat Zain, who also copied the email to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, noted that Reduan had surrendered himself to the police after his photograph was shown on television and in newspapers.

“I believe Reduan surrendered to the police because he was ashamed and disgraced.

“With this example, we wait to see if Jamil Khir, Che Mat and Shamsuddin will also take the ‘gentlemen’s’ way like Reduan, by surrendering themselves and facing the allegations. Or will they challenge the law and al-Quran,” he said.