No favouritism in Pandora Papers probe, says Azalina

 

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the call to have MACC parked under Parliament required further study and careful consideration to ensure its independence.

PETALING JAYA: Azalina Othman Said has dismissed insinuations that the authorities are practising favouritism in their probe into the Pandora Papers, which linked several prominent Malaysians to offshore tax havens.

The law and institutional reform minister said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was carrying out its probe “professionally and without bias”.

“The MACC is investigating as per the law without any outside influence or meddling,” she said in a parliamentary reply to opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut).

Hamzah had asked why 12 people, including several ministers, were not probed while the investigations focused on prominent figures who were pro-opposition.

The Pandora Papers refer to the millions of leaked documents put together by an international consortium of investigative journalists and made public in October 2021. They allegedly reveal offshore accounts of present and past leaders, including presidents, prime ministers, billionaires and prominent business people.

The data leak is the biggest of its kind and involves nearly 12 million documents and other records from offshore service providers who help set up and manage shell companies around the world.

The Malaysians who have been linked to it include former finance ministers Daim Zainuddin and Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, PKR’s Selayang MP William Leong and the parents of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.

Among those being investigated by the MACC are Daim and two sons of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad – Mirzan and Mokhzani.

On Dec 28, Daim described the investigation against him and his family as a “witch-hunt”.

Separately, Azalina said the call to have MACC parked under Parliament required further study and careful consideration.

“The proposal to place MACC under parliamentary oversight requires thorough study and research to ensure alignment and no conflict with the concept of separation of legislative and executive powers in the country’s administrative system.

“As an executive implementation body, MACC needs to be perceived as independent to effectively carry out its functions transparently, without being influenced by any party,” she said. - FMT