Task force will be of 'no value' to probe alleged MACC chief affair

It is not necessary to form a special task force to monitor investigations into an alleged extra-marital affair involving Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Dzulkifli Ahmad, said DAP Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.

“Ordinarily every police report is assigned to an investigating officer who will probe the matter in accordance with law.

“The laws currently in place are more than sufficient for the purposes of probing a case under Section 498 of the Penal Code.

“We must respect the law and appreciate that every criminal investigation needs to be conducted in accordance with law if that investigation is to be later upheld by any court of law,” he said in a statement today.

An investigation framework like this, he said, ensures impartiality and fairness to all and provides transparency.

Under this framework, the fate of a case lies with the investigating officer (IO) and not any special task force, he said.

“It is the IO who may testify in court later and he may be subject to cross-examination. It is his credibility and not that of any special task force which will be on trial,” Gobind said.

That is why, he said, he believes that a special task force will not be of any value to the probe into the allegations against Dzulkifli (photo).

“We should not develop a new culture of setting up special task forces in individual cases.

“This may be a dangerous precedent which should not be encouraged,” he said.

There is no reason to treat this investigation any differently from other criminal investigations, as the constitution states that all persons are equal before the law.

“This must necessarily apply to Dzulkifli as well,” Gobind said.

Previously, the Attorney-General’s Chambers had set up a special task force to monitor the investigations, “in view of the seriousness of the allegation.”

Police reports had been lodged over the alleged affair and inspector-general of police (IGP) Mohamad Fuzi Harun said they are investigating the case under Section 498 of the Penal Code.

Section 498 deals with the “enticing or taking away, or detaining with criminal intent, a married woman.”

Offenders can be jailed up to two years, fined or both.

This comes after several video clips accusing Dzulkifli of being romantically involved with a married woman surfaced online last week.- Mkini