The statement by the MACC today that it will only carry out an investigation if there is a report lodged in relation to the money found in Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd’s bank account in Australia is ill-advised and regrettable.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki is reported in today’s Sunday Star, “MACC to probe CID chief’s foreign funds if report lodged” at page 14 as saying,
“I have read the reports and will have to respect the findings of the police investigation, clearing the senior officer of any wrongdoing. But if we receive other information, then we will definitely look into it.”
The said internal investigation in Bukit Aman which “cleared” the said senior officer contradicts what was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald recently which reported that Comm Wan Ahmad had been stripped of more than A$320,000.00 by the Australian Federal Police which suspected his Sydney bank account held laundered money or proceeds of crime.
Since there already is an investigation launched in Australia on the matter, there is no need for the MACC to wait for a report to be lodged here before commencing investigations. Instead, the MACC should obtain information from the said Australian Federal Police and cooperate in the said investigations as the allegations are serious.
The said “clearing” of Comm Wan Ahmad is only from an internal investigation and cannot be conclusive particularly in light of the said investigations by the Australian Federal Police. As such, the MACC ought to commence independent investigations into the matter without relying solely on the said internal investigations if it is to be seen as truly independent and transparent.
The image of Malaysia is being tarnished in the eyes of the international world lately with the seizure of the Equanimity by Indonesian authorities off the coast of Bali which is said to be owned by Jho Low and purchased with ill-gotten gains from 1MDB.
We can ill-afford further negative publicity internationally in relation to this matter in Australia and as such, I urge the MACC to commence investigations forthwith into it by cooperating with the Australian authorities and not to simply brush it aside on the flimsy excuse of there not being a report lodged on the matter.