IGP: Cops working round the clock to resolve BNM's forex losses

Police are working “day and night” to resolve the forex losses incurred by Bank Negara Malaysia, inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun affirmed today.

Fuzi revealed at a press conference this afternoon that an intensive investigation was being carried out to resolve the case as soon as possible. 

"The intensive investigation is ongoing at the moment, so I have no comment," he said.

Following the submission of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s (RCI) report into the forex scandal on Nov 30, police set up a task force to investigate the matter, headed by Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Amar Singh.

"The RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry) report contains 524 pages, we have to analyse them,” Fuzi said.

"So, you just wait and see, we are working day and night to ensure the investigation will be completed as soon as possible.

"But it will take some time also, because we need to identify the people mentioned in the report," he added.

The IGP decline to comment, however, on whether former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (photo) and former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim would be called in for questioning.

“It's too early for me to comment," he said.

In the RCI report, Mahathir and Anwar were said to have abetted Bank Negara official Noh Yakcop Mohamed, identified as being mostly responsible for Bank Negara losing RM31.5 billion through forex trading in the 1990s.  

Mahathir and Anwar, along with former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, were also found to have misled the Cabinet on the scale of the losses suffered by the central bank.

Meanwhile, Fuzi said he was unable to confirm if police have summoned Senai state assemblyperson Wong Shu Qi (photo) for questioning over raising graft allegations against Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin last week.

"I cannot confirm this, sorry, because I don't have the actual facts. I have read about it in the newspaper, but I cannot respond specifically to your question," said Fuzi.

Wong is being investigated under the 203A of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for questioning Khaled in the State Legislative Assembly last week.

Khaled was grilled over an RM12 million gratification he allegedly received from developers in return for altering the status of bumiputera housing lots.

Fuzi acknowledged that immunity is commonly afforded to lawmakers on speech uttered in state assemblies, but only said “We will look into this, I will look into the issue.”

-Mkini