Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to immediately release the investigation papers into the share ownership controversy involving former MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.
Rafizi said doing so would help counter allegations of selective prosecution as the MACC and police widen their investigations into Tabung Haji, which have led to the detention of former ministers, political figures and former civil servants linked to previous BN administrations.
“In the current political climate, I am asking the prime minister to direct the chief secretary to the government to disclose the investigation papers into Azam’s share scandal immediately.
“The investigation has already been completed. It was an internal investigation and has already been presented to the cabinet.
“PMX (Anwar) had previously indicated that it would be disclosed within a few days, but it has now been almost six months,” Rafizi said during a press conference at Bersama headquarters in Puchong today.
The Bersama leader pointed out the case involving Azam was a disciplinary matter rather than a criminal investigation, as previously explained by the government.
He also noted that Azam has since retired from public service, meaning the release of the report would no longer affect any disciplinary action against him.
“It is not something major, like demoting him or anything else. But in the current climate, I think if Anwar takes the step of disclosing the investigation papers, it would put an end to attacks alleging that the MACC investigation into Tabung Haji is politically motivated.
“If he does both, I salute him. Then it would truly be reform,” said the former PKR deputy president.
Shares controversy
The controversy erupted in February after Bloomberg reported that Azam owned 17.7 million shares in financial services company Velocity Capital Partner Bhd. Malaysiakini subsequently reported on the allegations and MACC’s response.
Both MACC and Azam denied wrongdoing, saying the shares were bought on the open market and were unrelated to any MACC investigation.
The government later set up a special committee headed by the attorney-general to investigate the allegations.
On March 3, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that the attorney-general had informed him the committee’s report would be ready within “one or two days”, while describing calls at the time for a royal commission of inquiry as premature.
Nearly six months later, the report has yet to be made public. - Mkini
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