I fully support the call by Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum for public announcement of outcome of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations on RM5.5 million graft allegations against him in connection with the Emergency Ordinance (EO) “freedom for sale” scandal.
The ACA acting director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan had said that ACA had completed its investigations on the graft allegations against Johari shortly after the deputy minister was questioned by ACA officials on March 19 and that the investigation papers are now in the hands of the prosecution division.
Johari said he hoped that the Attorney-General’s Chambers would announce its decision quickly to clear his name.
If what Ahmad Said is true, then the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail should explain why the Attorney-General’s Chambers is taking more than a month to decide on the ACA investigations papers into Johari in connection with the RM5.5 million “EO freedom for sale” allegations.
The outcome of police investigations into the serious corruption allegations made against the then ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan in June last year should also be made public.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had told Berita Harian on Thursday that the police had completed investigations into the corruption allegations against Zulkipli after taking statements from 30 persons and that the investigations papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
There is a lot of skepticism as to whether the different agencies would be able to do a thorough and professional job in these two investigations and public confidence is not enhanced with a continuing pall of silence and secrecy on the outcome of these two investigations.
For this reason, Gani Patail should either step forward to announce the outcome of these two investigations or the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz who is charge of the law portfolio should make a ministerial statement on these two matters in Parliament next week.