Azam won't appear before committee as he can't get story straight - Pua

 

Damansara MP Tony Pua Kiam Wee said it is no wonder MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki does not want to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), since Azam “cannot get his story straight”.

This comes after the Securities Commission (SC) clarified that it found no evidence of proxy trading by Azam and that he had “control” over his own trading account.

“First, (Azam) claimed that the shares belonged to his brother, who used his account.

“Then, when the SC investigated, they found no wrongdoing because they found no proxy trading as Azam carried out the share transactions himself,” Pua (above) said in a statement last night.

He then questioned why Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob appeared to be protecting Azam over his shareholdings.

“Why is Ismail Sabri so adamant in protecting a MACC chief that he did not appoint?

“We call upon the prime minister to demonstrate his commitment to fight corruption in his administration and protect the integrity of the MACC, which has been badly tarnished by Azam,” Pua said.

If the prime minister does not wish to “wield the axe himself”, then he should at least give space for the PSC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to carry out its responsibilities to seek clarity from Azam.

“Azam’s refusal to attend even a closed-door parliamentary hearing is making a mockery of the supreme institution of the land.

“Ultimately, it reflects terribly on the prime minister as the buck stops with him,” Pua said.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki

The Agencies Committee initially scheduled a meeting for yesterday to probe Azam’s shareholdings.

However, the meeting was postponed indefinitely after Azam complained about the nature of the investigation.

Azam argued that he filed a defamation suit and matters to be discussed by the PSC might be considered by the courts.

Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of 1,930,000 shares in Gets Global Berhad (previously KBES Berhad) on April 30, 2015, worth around RM772,000 at the time.

His shareholding in Gets Global Berhad went down to 1,029,500 as of March 31, 2016, worth around RM340,000 at the time.

He also held 2,156,000 warrants in Excel Force MSC Berhad in March 2016.

The share ownership in 2015 and 2016 raised questions on whether it is commensurate with his income as a public servant and on conflict of interest concerns.

Azam claimed the shares were not his but purchased by his brother in his name, prompting the SC to also get involved over the possible misuse of his trading account. - Mkini