AG, IGP 'cleared' in black-eye case - Malaysiakini

Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and inspector-general of police Musa Hassan have both been cleared of any criminal involvement in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's black-eye case, according to the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

MCPX

He was replying to Gobind Singh-Deo (DAP-Puchong) as to why no action has been taken by the authorities after Anwar had lodged reports with the police and the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) last July.

Subsequently, the ACA - now called the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission - set up an independent panel to probe the case.

The panel members were Kadir Sulaiman, Wira Mohd Nor and Ahmad Nor Abdullah - all former judges from the Federal Court and Court of Appeal.

According to Nazri, the investigation by the panel began on July 2 last year.

"The investigation was completed two months later as it was considered a sensitive and high-profile case," he said.

"After a detailed investigation, they found the AG and the IGP did not commit any wrongdoing relating to the case as alleged by Anwar."

He further said that each of the panel members had to probe the issue independently in order to draw their own conclusion on the matter.

However, several opposition MPs were not convinced by the minister’s answer, stressing that there had been no information on the case after the investigation was completed.

In his supplementary question, Gobind queried Nazri as to when the panel had made the decision and why there had been no disclosure on this earlier by the authorities.

“We have also not been informed whether any action has been taken against the suspects,” asserted Gobind.

One panel member found case against AG

Nazri said the authorities required “ample time to make the decision public so that it would not be doubted by some parties”.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) then questioned Nazri as to who had made the final decision, since the investigation had been conducted independently.

“Let’s say one of them decides that the AG is guilty. In that case, who makes the final decision?” asked Lim.

Nazri explained that the decision was made based on the majority view, and in this case, all three members had found no case against the IGP, and only one had found a case against the AG.

He however refused to divulge further details.

Later at a press conference, Anwar, who is also de facto leader of PKR, said it was typical of the government to “manipulate” the facts adduced to the MACC.

“It is not easy to bring a case against those two without evidence, and it also depends on what has been submitted,” said Anwar.

He further accused Nazri of using the Parliament as a place to “defend the case” as the latter chose to reply in the House this morning.

Anwar: I'm disgusted

Anwar said he was "disgusted" with the finding and said the government did not provide full details of his complaint to the investigating panel.

"I believe there is a cover-up because it involves the VVIPs. I am disgusted, I think it is very unfortunate with all the evidence provided, they can brush it aside," he told reporters at Parliament.

"It is typical of the government - you give them strong evidence, medical reports, they refuse to act and allow them to go free," he said.

Last month, Anwar had lodged a police report claiming that the AG and the IGP were involved in a conspiracy to fabricate an arrest warrant in 1998.

Anwar had also accused Abdul Gani (left) and Musa of fabricating evidence in an investigation into the beating he received by former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor while in police custody.

Anwar, then deputy prime minister, was arrested and jailed for corruption. A sodomy conviction was later overturned on appeal.

The oppposition leader had said the involvement of Abdul Gani and Musa was further affirmed by a defamation suit against him last October by Mat Zain Ibrahim, the investigating officer who probed the 'black eye' incident.

Mat Zain had stated that Abdul Gani, who was then a senior deputy public prosecutor, delayed the investigation process and concealed facts from then AG, the late Mohtar Abdullah.

Musa was the investigating officer into previous cases against Anwar, where the former DPM was accused of abuse of power, corruption and sodomy.

Police report last July

In his police report last July, Anwar had alleged: "I believe Musa and Abdul Gani were present in Bukit Aman on Sept 20, 1998 and knew about the assault by Rahim Noor on me.

"Musa and Abdul Gani further concealed the fact of the assault on me from the public until my black eye and injuries were revealed in court.

"I believe both Musa and Abdul Gani were actively involved in the procuring of the second undated (medical) report by Dr (Abdul) Rahman (Yusof) which makes false and incredible conclusions (regarding his injury).

"They gave instructions to Dr Rahman to proceed to write this second report and were acting under the direction and/or jointly with Mohtar.

"These facts show that Musa, Abdul Gani and Mat Zain (who, according to Dr Rahman's second report, accompanied him to the cell in Bukit Aman where I was detained and participated in the so-called reconstruction of the scene) conspired with Dr Rahman to procure the production of this second report.

"This was done so that my police report of Sept 27, 1998, in respect of the assault would be regarded as a false police report for which I could be charged, or at the very least, to damage my credibility, so as to affect my defence in the other criminal cases where I was charged for so-called corruption and sodomy to facilitate a conviction."