'Police, MACC need to get to bottom of mystery letter'

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) called on the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to carry out prompt, thorough and unbiased investigations into the letter which surfaced on Wednesday during the inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Its secretary-general Dr Loi Kheng Min said in a statement issued here today, the police and MACC "need to uncover the truth and bring any wrongdoers to book."

He also called on the government to have the political will to seriously fight corruption as one of the six National Key Results Areas (NKRAs).

"A good start is to put MACC not only back on track to be an independent body but also to adhere to the principles and procedures of the United Nations Convention on Corruption (UNCAC)," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) wants the police and the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct a “thorough and unbiased” investigation into the mystery letter which surfaced this week in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

In a statement today TI-M said it believes that the independent advisory panel committees of MACC must “comprehensively review and revamp” the MACC if the allegations are proven to be true.

“The mysterious letter alleges a very serious crime by a top ranking officer of an institution that should be impartial, just and honourable.

“We expect MACC to be totally independent, managed by professionals with high integrity, to discharge its duty without fear or favour and to use its resources productively to curb and combat corruption,” Dr. Loi Kheng Min said in the press statement.

The TI-M secretary-general also wants the government to make the fight against corruption as one of the six National Key Results Areas (NKRAs).

“A good start would be to put MACC not only back on track to be an independent body but also to adhere to the principles and procedures of the United Nations Convention on Corruption (UNCAC),” he said.

The mystery letter delivered on August 18th to Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Teoh’s family, was sent by anonymous parties claiming to be “MACC officers” who urged the authorities to probe a senior anti-graft officer for corruption and involvement in the DAP political aide’s death.

The letter, written in Bahasa Malaysia and allegedly sent by unnamed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers, named a senior official of MACC as someone who was personally involved in questioning Teoh in the final hours before he died.

The letter does not say how Teoh actually died, but suggested an account of what happened during questioning.

Besides the description of the senior official, a string of allegations against him are also contained in the letter.

The letter accuses the senior official of widespread corruption involving previous investigations.

It also accuses the senior officer of acting on the instruction of Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo from the time he was the Selangor mentri besar to initiate investigations into possible corruption involving the current government.

In the letter, a number of previous investigations purportedly involving Khir’s administration are listed, and the senior officer was said to have covered up those cases.

Khir has denied the allegations or even knowing the senior MACC official.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas, who is acting as coroner in the inquest into Teoh’s death, had recently ordered the police investigating officer, ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal, to immediately look into the contents of the letter and check all its claims.

Loi said that TI-M was encouraged by the directive of the coroner to the police to investigate the mystery letter and welcomes the MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed’s consideration on an independent complaints committee to look into the allegations.

( Source:"Transparency International calls for prompt investigation into mystery letter")