Order didn't come from me, says ex-MACC chief on unfreezing tycoon’s account
Former MACC chief commissioner Mohd Shukri Abdull has denied involvement in instructing the unfreezing of business tycoon Lim Soon Peng’s accounts which were subject to 1MDB probe back in 2018.
Responding to claims of political interference in the matter, Shukri (above) stressed that he did not take orders from any ministers, even the prime minister.
“I always maintain my integrity.
“In any investigation, I never adhere to instructions including by ministers or the prime minister. Even in this case, I never issued instructions to my officers to unfreeze the accounts in question,” he said in a statement today.
His statement came following the claim by de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister Lim Guan Eng had interfered in the matter.
Takiyuddin (photo) alleged in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that a 2018 letter of representation written by Soon Peng’s lawyers to Shukri included handwritten notes which had been minuted by Mahathir and again by Guan Eng.
Back then, Soon Peng’s bank accounts were frozen over investigations into RM4 million in transactions relating to 1MDB-linked funds from former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
“I am in the opinion that the embezzlement conducted by the previous prime minister should not be blamed on Lim Soon Peng. Therefore, any freezing of personal or company accounts should not remain,” the minute allegedly by Mahathir read.
Takiyuddin then claimed that Guan Eng had written to then attorney-general Thommy Thomas to release the accounts as instructed by Mahathir.
In response, Shukri today also said that he only took instructions from the deputy public prosecutors in any probe, and “not from unrelated parties”.
“If true the accounts were unfrozen, that was not by my orders,” he added.
Shukri served at the MACC for 32 years and retired in 2016 as deputy chief commissioner (operations) at the height of investigations into the 1MDB financial scandal.
However, he returned in May 2018 to head the anti-graft body under the Pakatan Harapan government and finally left in June 2019.
This is not the first time the allegations have surfaced regarding the case. In June, Penang PAS Youth made a similar claim and accused Thomas and Guan Eng of abusing their position to aid the businessperson.
This after an alleged letter by Thomas to Guan Eng on the matter, dated June 14, last year, was posted on a whistleblower site "Peniup Wisel Siber" on June 2.
PN obviously worried the charges against Guanee are not strong enough to convict. Working very hard to come up with more....
ReplyDeleteYes Aisehmann, siapa yang bertanggungjawab wang persaraan perkhidmatan awam sebanyak 4BILLION hilang?
ReplyDeleteEven when the former Finance Minister II wanted to go to Switzerland to look for the money Jibby stopped him.
Jibby should be fined 5 X 4 BILLION, not 5 X 42 MILLION.
QUOTE
Najib admits he didn't have a plan to retrieve RM3.6b funds frozen in Swiss bank
Timothy Achariam
theedgemarkets.com
January 22, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Datuk Seri Najib Razak admitted today that he did not have a plan to retrieve RM3.6 billion of SRC International Sdn Bhd's funds which were frozen at a bank in Switzerland, having prevented former second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah from retrieving the money.
Najib's admission came as deputy public prosecutor Datuk V Sithambaram was conducting his cross-examination on the former prime minister in the SRC trial at the High Court.
Sithambaram began by asking Najib why he had blocked Husni's move to lead a delegation to Switzerland to resolve the issue of the SRC funds in frozen bank accounts there. Some RM3.6 billion in the accounts — part of the RM4 billion loan from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) — were frozen by Swiss authorities at the time on suspicion of being laundered funds.
Najib reiterated his stance that Husni had not made a formal request or told him of his plans to retrieve the funds.
Sithambaram: If a minister makes a request to go to Switzerland to get the funds back, what plan would you expect?
Najib: I was expecting him to tell me in detail how he is going to do it. He needed to submit a proper plan.
Najib added that for any minister to go abroad, a proper plan has to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval first.
Sithambaram then asked Najib whether he himself had suggested a plan to retrieve the funds, knowing that the money was frozen in Switzerland at the material time.
Sithambaram: Since this was your baby, and RM4 billion was stuck, did you suggest to him, as a responsible finance minister, a plan?
Najib: I didn't suggest to him.
Sithambaram then asked him if he had come up with a plan.
"No. I left it to the management (of SRC)," was Najib's response.
UNQUOTE
wakakaka, don't lah change the subject
DeleteA lot of manufactured hot air.
ReplyDeleteEx-MACC Chief denying ever making an order on an alleged instruction , that nobody has seen.
Unsubstantiated allegations made by a dubious character known for manufacturing "Halal Lies".
Podah !
Imagine if it were Guanee that took 4 billion KWAP money......but so far all MACC can come up with was alleged abuse of power for wifey to get a few hundred thousand which was really lawful legal fees, 3.3 million bribe which MACC cannot trace because it does not exist and 10% profit to be paid 15 years into the future, if there is a profit.
ReplyDelete