Malaysia minister denies taking bribes to free suspects

A Malaysian minister on Sunday denied having accepted bribes to free three suspected criminals from jail in a second recent case of allegations of corruption involving a senior official, a state news agency said.

The case is likely to embarrass Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who has vowed to root out corruption as the incident comes within weeks of graft allegations against the nation’s anti-corruption chief.

Malaysia’s deputy Minister of Internal Security, Mohamad Johari Baharum, said allegations in the press against an unnamed senior politician having been bribed to release suspects was apparently directed at him, but he denied having accepted 5.5 million ringgit ($1.57 million).

‘The allegation on a web site and in a newspaper report today is apparently directed at me but it has been made without basis and proof,’ Bernama quoted the minister as saying.

The country’s anti-corruption agency earlier said it had already launched investigation against the official but refused to name him, according to the newspaper reports.

The suspected criminals are alleged to have been involved in gambling, prostitution and illegal money-lending, Bernama said.

The senior politician at the centre of bribery allegations over the release of Emergency Ordinance detainees has protested his innocence and said he was ready to face any ensuing investigation.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum described the allegations, sent anonymously to the Anti-Corruption Agency and posted on the Internet, that he took more than RM5 million in inducements as "malicious slander".
"Anyone can make allegations on the web. Wild accusations have been made against the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and other politicians,"

Meanwhile, the police are seeking the help of web bloggers who posted on the Internet information pertaining to a senior politician who allegedly accepted more than RM5 million in bribes for helping to free criminal suspects held under the Emergency Ordinance.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the police wanted to know how the bloggers garnered the information on the matter and the whole history of the allegations, adding that the police would be fair to all in the matter.

"If they can provide us vital information, it will benefit our investigation. We greatly welcome the bloggers to come forward by themselves and assist us to ensure a smooth investigation," he told Bernama here Sunday.

Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Director of Investigations Mohd Shukri Abdul was reported to have said yesterday that the ACA had begun investigating the senior politician who had allegedly accepted more than RM5 million to assist in freeing several suspects held under the Emergency Ordinance.

Musa said he could not say anything more at the moment as the investigation had started.

He said the police were informed of at least two websites that had posted the allegations and details of the politician's alleged involvement.

"But it's too early to come up with a conclusion and it's our job to find out the truth. Nothing is true without evidence," he said, adding that the police were ready to assist the ACA in the investigation.

The Message from the IGP is very clear. He is well aware that the blogging community can play a positive role to fight crime and to expose the corrupt, but someone used to say what Bloggers say are "Lies, Lies, Lies"?

Last week, prime minister urged the police to thoroughly probe allegations about the wealth of the country’s anti-corruption chief.

In a letter to police last year, a subordinate of anti-graft chief Zulkipli Mat Noor accused him of corruption.

IT is certainly ironic. The man who is supposed to help wipe out corruption has found himself accused of being corrupt. Read Wong Chun Wai's posting here.