PETALING JAYA: Did the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board meet on Nov 24 to discuss allegations concerning the business pursuits of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki?
That is the query posed by Dr Edmund Terence Gomez to the board members, urging them to affirm if such a meeting had been held.
Gomez, who resigned from the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel final month, mentioned he raised this query for that reason: “If a meeting was held on Nov 24, why was I not informed of this when I discussed this matter with some board members in December?
“Why was I not told that Azam had been exonerated by the board members at this meeting?” he mentioned in a press release on Saturday (Jan 8).
The meeting was claimed to have taken place by board chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang, whereby Azam was summoned to clarify the allegations.
Abu Zahar had mentioned the board was glad with the reason given throughout that meeting and located that there was no legal conduct or battle of curiosity on Azam’s half.
Gomez mentioned if there was such a meeting on Nov 24, then one other query should be answered.
“The board members have confirmed that they do not have the authority to exonerate Azam of the allegations made against him.
“If they state this now, why then did they exonerate Azam at the Nov 24 meeting?” he added.
It was reported that Gomez had resigned in protest over the panel’s inaction with regards to allegations relating to a prime MACC official.
In a press convention on Wednesday (Jan 5), Abu Zahar advised reporters that there was no battle of curiosity on Azam’s half as MACC chief over the difficulty of buying shares in two corporations in 2015.
He mentioned this was as a result of the MACC chief commissioner didn’t buy the shares himself, as this was performed by Nasir Baki, his youthful brother.
However, six board members distanced themselves from Abu Zahar’s assertion earlier on Saturday (Jan 8).
They mentioned the feedback have been Abu Zahar’s private view and a separate dialogue was held on the matter the place a number of proposals got.
Among the proposals have been for the difficulty to be introduced to an impartial committee, Parliamentary Special Committee on Corruption or the MACC’s complaints panel.
Gomez mentioned it isn’t ample for the board members to distance themselves from Abu Zahar’s statements at his press convention.
“The board members must also explain why they did not insist on an independent investigation into these allegations against Azam when this was first brought to their attention,” he mentioned.
