Hassan concerned about Dr M’s claim of jail threat for son

 

Hassan Karim stressed that those being investigated by MACC should not be threatened during the process.

PETALING JAYA: A member of one of the five oversight panels of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has expressed concern about former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s claim that his son has been threatened with a five-year jail term.

In an open letter to MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, Hassan Karim, who is a member of the special committee on corruption, said he hoped the anti-graft agency will perform its duties professionally and in accordance with the law when conducting investigations.

The Pasir Gudang MP said that while the members of the elite, who were once seen as “immune and untouchable” by MACC, were now being summoned to its headquarters for investigation, it was crucial that they should not be threatened.

“I take Mahathir’s complaint seriously that his son, who is being investigated by MACC, has been threatened with a five-year prison sentence,” he said.

“Such incidents should not occur.”

In a post on X earlier today, Mahathir alleged his son has been “accused and threatened that if he does anything that the prosecutor considers to be contrary to the accusation, he will be jailed for five years”.

“There was not even a mention of being brought to court,” he said.

While he did not mention who he was referring to, the post came a day after MACC said it served his son, Mirzan, a notice to declare his assets as part of its investigation into information from the Panama Papers report.

MACC also said it issued the notice in light of its probe into Mirzan’s business activities involving the sale and purchase of government-linked companies.

In its statement yesterday, MACC said it summoned Mirzan to its headquarters in Putrajaya on Wednesday to be served a notice of asset declaration under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, which requires him to declare all the movable and immovable assets in his possession within 30 days.

It said it is examining financial documents and assets owned by the Malaysians listed in the Pandora Papers and Panama Papers reports.

While Hassan commended MACC for conducting investigations related to the revelations in the Pandora Papers and Panama Papers reports, he said he hoped the agency would act in a fair and transparent manner.

He said MACC was neither a prosecuting body nor a court, and that its role was similar to that of the police, which served as an investigation agency subject to the Criminal Procedure Code.

“Investigations should not only target those considered opponents or adversaries of the current ruling unity government, but also include their supporters and members.

“MACC must act transparently, professionally, and with integrity in carrying out its duties, based on the principles of fearlessness and impartiality,” he said. - FMT