Friday 20 February 2009

Update: Of Car & Cows: S'gor MB could be charged – Malaysiakini

Updated 6pm:

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim could be charged in connection with the allegations of abuse of power in the maintenance of a luxury car and purchase of cattle in conjunction with the Hari Raya Korban celebrations . - Malaysiakini .

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today said it has strong evidence against him.

Speaking to reporters in Penang, MACC chief commissioner Ahmad Said Hamdan (picture left) said investigations have been wrapped up and it is up to the attorney-general to take further action.

"The MACC can decide but it would be better for the attorney-general to consider and take action, it involves a VIP and we have to be fair to everyone," he said.

He was responding to a question on why MACC did not proceed to prosecute Abdul Khalid, which is within its powers to do so.

Two lawsuits filed

On Wednesday, Khalid had filed two suits against former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo regarding the 'car and cows' allegations which appeared in the New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia.

Mohd Khir had alleged that the current menteri besar had purchased a Lexus as his official car.

However, Khalid later clarified that the car was his own but he was using it for official purposes as well.

Following this, an anti-corruption watchdog filed a MACC report accusing Khalid of using public funds to maintain the vehicle.

On the cattle issue, Khalid was accused of misusing RM110,400 of state funds for the purchase of cattle for his Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency in conjunction with the Hari Raya Korban celebrations.

The menteri besar later explained that the arrangements to purchase and donate the cattle were made solely by the state agency, Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and the donor companies, without his or his officers' involvement.


Why the double standards?

Meanwhile, Khalid's lawyer Sankara Nair expressed deep regret over the statement by the MACC chief that there is strong evidence to show that the menteri besar had misused his powers.

"It has been the norm in MACC's practice hitherto not to make statements indicating or stating the culpability of a person who is being investigated or at the end of the said investigation.

"In this particular case, MACC had chosen to depart from the time honoured norm and as such it clearly reeks of double-standards," he told a press conference in Shah Alam.

Sankara said it is disturbing that MACC, in this instance, had singled out his client who is an opposition politician to "look guilty in the eyes of the public before he is charged in court or convicted."

"Let me reiterate that the protocol on the decision to prosecute places a very heavy burden on the prosecution and the mere stating of the technicality without the essential element of mens rea (criminal intent) does not certainly meet the standards to pursue prosecution.

"I therefore urge the MACC to act professionally at all time," he added.

In a another development, the MACC would also investigate allegations of abuse of power by Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar for suspending Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six state executive councillors from the assembly."If it's true that there has been abuse of power, the MACC will take appropriate action," said Ahmad Said.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

How come 'Cows and Cars' can get charged while those involved in millions of ringgit can't gat charged?

Anonymous said...

To Anon 2:24:00PM.

What you said is the same complaint from the Fish that I caught with my fishing rod this morning. The fish said: "How come I got caught when thare are zillions of other fish in the sea?"

I smiled and whack the fish kaw-kaw. Then I went to work.


MRSM Kale Chepo 66/73

Anonymous said...

Now let us get some things straight OK?

1)MACC is not impartial,they prosecute or investigate only those cases approved by BN

2)Bias as they are ,they also cannot charged somebody if there is no crime committed

3)So,the BN is a crooked body but the person charged is also a crook!

Are we clear?

Anonymous said...

Alamak.. Malaysia so many VIPS, Datuks and Datos and their Datins and Tan Sris and their Puan Sris and Tuns and all..

...does that mean if the Attorney General decide not to charge them, they wont be charged even though they've committed crimes?

Semua ni tak masuk akal lah.. seems like a wayang from the BN VIPS in power..

Lee said...

The MACC is the former ACA.They are synonymous; the changes, if any, are certainly cosmetic.It is still a tool of the government of the day, to be used when it is in the interests of the government, and not to be used when vice-versa. Sad to say, the outgoing PM much trumpeted reform is no reform!The so-called reform, as it turns out is, maybe, just to give him face ...for his self- satifaction that he has carried out the reforms he promised!Can the raayat be so easily hookwink?!

Abuarif said...

DOUBLE STANDARD?Siapa kata tuuu?Ini no hal lah.Dulu Raya korban tahun 2007 Digi tolong beri lembu korban bagi pehak Najib di pekan dan Abdullah Badawi di Kepala Batas tak ada pun Ahmad Said kata apa-apa pun.Bukan 47 ekor tapi 400 ekor.Lain kali kalu Khalid nak buat tahun ni order 450 ekor,jadi semua orang dapat ....ALL MOUTH WILL BE SHUT.