PUTRAJAYA has told a senior military intelligence officer to resign after allegations surfaced on the role this division played in the run-up to the 14th general election.
The division also allegedly received RM7 million from the personal bank account of former prime minister Najib Razak five years ago, just before the 13th general election.
A highly placed source from the Malaysian armed forces said the senior officer’s last day is on September 1.
“He was advised to leave and his last day is on September 1,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.
“Why he was advised to leave, that information is highly confidential.”
The Malaysian Insight, however, learnt that the marching orders came after Pakatan Harapan took control of Putrajaya and began investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
Prior to this, whistle-blower site Sarawak Report revealed transactions that allegedly went through Najib’s personal bank accounts during the run-up to GE13 in 2013.
The report said Najib paid RM7 million to this senior officer on April 8, 2013, about a month before GE13. This money allegedly came from 1MDB.
Sarawak Report even questioned if the officer concerned could explain why the intelligence division had received a personal cheque from the prime minister just before the elections.
The division is a joint military intelligence agency of the armed forces. It reports directly to the chief of the armed forces.
Sarawak Report said the figures on the transactions came from the joint task force that had been investigating 1MDB since March 2015 until it was abruptly disbanded.
Among those who called for the removal of this officer was the National Patriots Association (Patriot) which said it received incriminating WhatsApp messages on the role played by the military intelligence in the run-up to GE14.
Patriot president brig-gen (rtd) Mohamed Arshad Raji said the messages alleged that the military intelligence was used to drum up voter support to ensure that Barisan Nasional candidates won.
Another source also confirmed that the officer concerned will serve his last day on September 1.
“But I do not know who will replace him,” said the second source.
An official from the Defence Ministry did not refute the claims, merely saying: “I am not in the position to say anything but what you have is what I have heard. That is all.”
Since taking over Putrajaya after GE14, several high-ranking government officials have either tendered their resignation or did not have their contracts renewed as the new government went on a blitz to weed out corruption and abuses of power by the former administration.
Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Dzulkifli Ahmad resigned on May 14, five days after PH swept into power while former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali’s service was terminated on June 5 and he was replaced by Tommy Thomas.
Recently, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said there was “incitement” from outside sources, making it difficult for him to trust civil servants.
– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com
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