Chitirakala barred from leaving the country

FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: MIED's former chief executive officer P Chitirakala has been barred from leaving the country.
She was supposed to board a flight to India at 6.30pm.
However, she was stopped by immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

When contacted, Chitirikala confirmed that she has been barred from leaving.

"I am not being detained. And nobody knows who gave the instruction to stop me from leaving," she said.

Earlier today, FMT reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has filed an application to impound her passport.

The court has fixed May 25 to hear the matter.

On May 11, the 39-year-old former CEO was charged with three counts of cheating involving RM4 million.

Several quarters had expressed surprise over MACC's application since the passport issue did not arise when she was charged in the Sessions Court here.

FMT was also told that Chitirakala had notified MACC of her intention to travel to India and had provided the dates.

"Despite this, MACC has now filed an application. This could be due to political intervention by certain parties with vested interest who want to embarrass her further," said a source.

Although declining to name who, it was obvious that the source was referring to MIC president S Samy Vellu.

MIED or the Maju Institute for Education Development is the education arm of MIC.

Chitirakala, the former blue-eyed-girl of Samy Vellu, has been locking horns with the latter over the funds in the organisation.

Both have accused each other of wrongdoings, paving the way for several police and MACC reports to be lodged.
'They think I will abscond'
In a statement issued earlier, Chitirakala confirmed that MACC has made an application to withhold her passport and issued a challenge to Samy Vellu.

She had also anticipated trouble at the airport, when she mentioned towards the end of her statement that she had a flight to catch, and that she “must be prepared to handle his stunts at the airport.”

Chitirakala said she was “shocked and surprise” by MACC's application.

“They apparently received information that I am absconding on May 19 (today) and that I have a ticket to travel on May 19.

“Of course, I have a ticket as I booked it in April and told MACC of my trip since there was a travel alert on me pending investigations,” she said.

“What shocks me more is I gave a letter in writing to MACC on May 10 detailing my travel date and destination,” she added.

Chitirakala also said that she brought the ticket and her passport to the court on the day she was charged.

“When my counsel Sashi Menon told the DPP about my trip, DPP Kevin Morrias said they are not withholding my passport and I am free to travel.

“In fact the judge too asked if MACC needs my passport to be surrendered and the DPP said 'no'. The press in the court room that day is my witness,” she added.

Chitirakala said after the last general election, she wanted Samy Vellu to exit gracefully, leaving the Aimst University for the Indian Malaysian community.

“I was honest in my intention since I cared for him as I would for my father. My honesty landed me in trouble with the man who treated me like a daughter. He vowed to embarrass me as he thought that I was supporting his political rivals,” she said.

“When he accused me of joining (former deputy president S) Subramaniam’s camp and being on the take with the Aimst contractors in December 2008, I stood up for my dignity and challenged him to sack me and that I will see him in court.

“I am enduring the ordeal of police and MACC reports as well as court cases, bad publicity in the press and much more for the past 18 months for that courage,” she added.

Chitirakala also challenged Samy Vellu to step down and face her as an individual and not as the president of MIC.

“If he can't do this, he might as well trade all his Brioni suits for nice Kanjipuram sarees,” she said.