Phang denies MACC satisfied with AG explanation

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 – Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) corruption prevention panel advisor Tan Sri Robert Phang has denied that the panel was satisfied with the Attorney-General’s (AG) clarification of his links to a former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman now being probed for graft.
Phang said AG Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail’s explanation to the panel had failed to dispel suspicions that he was “consorting” with Shahidan Shafie, a proxy for former MAS executive chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.

Open verdict in Teoh inquest

SHAH ALAM, Jan 5 — The coroner returned an open verdict today in the inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock two years ago, a decision which means it cannot ascertain how the political aide died.The packed courtroom broke into a collective sigh as coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas delivered his verdict while Teoh’s mother wept uncontrollably.Azmil also ruled out suicide and homicide even though he raised doubts that Teoh could have exited unaided from the window on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam before falling to his death following overnight interrogation by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers.

RESPONSE TO DISCLOSURE BY TAN SRI RAMON NAVARATNAM OF A CONFIDENTIAL MEETING

PRESS STATEMENT  :  05th Jan 2011
Chairman – Social Care Foundation
Panel Advisor of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)

On Tuesday 4th January 2011, a meeting was held at the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Academy (MACC). 30 members of the MACC board and panel members attended this meeting with the Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. I was amongst those invited to attend this meeting. As usual it is only on invitation basis and we were told this was a confidential meeting.

I was thus surprised to read that evening’s news reports that the MACC Corruption Prevention Panel Chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam had issued a statement to the effect that the MACC members who attended this meeting were satisfied with Abdul Gani’s explanation and found that there was no need to investigate the allegations of Abdul Gani’s connection with former MAS Chairman, Tan Sri Tajuddin’s proxy, one En Shahidan Shafie.

Tajudin links: AG bares all to MACC

Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail today met Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials and panel members to clear the air over allegations of close links with former Malaysia Airlines chairperson Tajudin Ramli.

According to a statement by the MACC, the meeting was attended by 30 of the 42 committee and panel members at the Corruption Prevention Academy in Kuala Lumpur.

Also present were MACC chief Abu Kasim Mohammed, his senior management officers and commission division heads.

Teoh’s death inquest verdict tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR: The much-awaited verdict of the inquest into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock is expected to be delivered at the Shah Alam Magistrate Court Wednesday.Teoh's family members will join lawyers and reporters and other interested parties on the second floor of the annex building of the court complex to hear coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas give the findings of the inquest at 2.30pm.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission director of the Legal and Prosecution Division Datuk Abdul Razak Musa told Bernama that there was no indication from court officials of any postponement.Teoh, 30, political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 2009 on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he had given a statement at the office of the Selangor branch of the commission on the 14th floor of the same building.

KL crime index drops 18 percent

KUALA LUMPUR: The crime index for Kuala Lumpur dropped 6,707 points or 18.3 percent to 29,953 last year compared to the 36,663 points in 2009, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said Tuesday.He also said that last year, a total of 14,806 of the 29,953 investigated cases, or 49.4 per cent, were solved.

Ex-Sime GM charged with graft

JOHOR BARU, Jan 3 — Former Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd operations general manager Mohd Zaki Othman has been charged with two counts of bribery at the Sessions Court here.He is accused of accepting bribes amounting to RM55,300 related to a RM23 million contract awarded by the Pasir Gudang-based company.This follows two civil suits filed by Sime Darby against former top executives over breach of trust and duty in several large projects.Mohd Zaki was also named as one of five respondents in a RM338 million suit over RM2.1 billion in losses incurred in three projects along with former chief executive Datuk Seri Ahmad Zubir Murshid.