Hafiz Yatim | Mar 3, 2012
Malaysiakini

Retired Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff revealed more on his Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) experience with details on how it used a convicted criminal to frame and press charges against him.

At his birthday speech on Wednesday, he said that the MACC had used this shady character’s statement while he was still in custody under the Emergency Ordinance, as the foundation to build up the charges against him, particularly those he had faced in Kuala Lumpur.

“Imagine this, the MACC relied on the words of a shady character who was under custody and detained under the Emergency Ordinance and then converted to restricted residence, and later released after they secured his cooperation to frame me by making allegations that in 1999 I was paid corruption money through an officer.

“These allegations were supposed to have come from a source involved in a slew of organised crimes, including illegal money lending (loan sharks), illegal character lottery, prostitution and drug pushing in Johor.

“The notes of evidence in court (proceeding) show so clearly that all these allegations were mere fabrications,” he said.

The MACC, Ramli added, did not even dare produce the man in court to prove that statement.

When criminal’s word is gold

Yet, he said, he was charged just based on the words of this known criminal became the MACC’s basis for saying that there were grounds to justify a notice to declare his assets.

“Nothing could be more perverse than what was done to me,” he added.

On Thursday, Malaysiakini reported that Ramli had accused attorney-general (AG) Abdul Gani Patail and former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan and the MACC of “fixing” him and his men.

The whole saga began when he and his team took action against a syndicate member allegedly aligned with former inspector-general of police Musa, where the person was placed under restricted residence.

However, on the advice of the AG, the syndicate member was subsequently released unconditionally while his officers were charged with taking down false and fabricated statements implicating Musa.

Abdul Gani subsequently passed the highly confidential case file over to the MACC to harass the witnesses, he claimed.

A string of court victories

Ramli had in 2007 faced three charges in Kuala Lumpur on failing to declare his assets and another on violating laws prohibiting civil servants’ involvement in private business.

However, he was acquitted of these charges by the Sessions Court in 2010, without his defence being called.

The decision was upheld by the Kuala Lumpur High Court last year, where one of the judges in a damning judgment wrote that the MACC should not have appealed the ruling on the charge of failing to declare his assets as they were aware the Sessions judge had said there was no premeditated offence as the MACC had relied solely on the words of an underworld syndicate member.

The Court of Appeal also upheld Ramli’s acquittal of the abuse of power charge when as Sabah police chief he allegedly used a Royal Malaysian Police Cessna Caravan aircraft to fly him and Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mohamad Yasin Yahya on aerial surveillance of two parcels of land in Ulu Tungku, Lahad Datu.

Malaysiakini also carried a special report on the apparent infighting in the police force in 2007, titled Top cop vs Top cop.

Ramli, in his speech to mark his 65th birthday, also said that he did not harbour any ill-will towards the force but only at those who misuse and abuse their positions for their own benefit.

“I came to understand that after I was charged, officers were demoralised and scared to make decisions and felt caged unable even use their discretion.

“It pains me to think how my indictment would mar the portrayal of my fellowmen in blue in this country.

“Chances are, they could also easily be hauled in for abuse of power or be fixed or transferred out to the remote districts of Sabah or Sarawak,” he said.

Ramli vowed that he would continue to speak out to ensure such incidents would not recur in the force.

Malaysiakini has texted both Abdul Gani and MACC chief commissioner Abu Kasim Mohamed and is still awaiting their response to Ramli’s allegations.