KUALA LUMPUR: Former Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim told the Commission of Inquiry (CI) yesterday it had never crossed his mind to make up stories and said that he was there to clear MACC’s name and not to engage in play-acting.
Hishamuddin, who is now Negeri Sembilan MACC director, said he was testifying to assist the MACC to improve its operations.
“I work hard in carrying out investigations because I shoulder the responsibility entrusted by the people and it is also the MACC’s principals to be fair, firm and trustworthy,” he said in reply to the Dean of Cyberjaya Medical Science College University, Professor Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.
He was also questioned by lawyer Cheow Wee from the Bar Council on what he would do if there were complaints about his subordinates resorting to force or threats when interviewing a witness or interrogating a suspect.
He said he would have advised them not to abuse the powers vested on the MACC.
“I will tell them to give emphasis on safety issues and to safeguard the commission’s image and I will do that like a father advising his children. I will also remind them that the people are watching everything we do,” he said.
Replying to Cheow Wee on the methods used by the MACC to interview witnesses and suspects, Hishamuddin said interviews would be carried out in a reasonable manner, based on the provisions in the MACC Act, to get them to explain any information on a case.
“Interview with a suspect will be more towards whether there are other witnesses involved or documents available regarding a case,” he said.
Asked by Cheow Wee whether there were other methods being taught in the MACC, such as asking witnesses to stand and not moving for an extended period or asking them to stand in unlit rooms, Hishamuddin said, “No.” Hishamuddin, the 26th witnesses, also denied that MACC officers would kick chairs or tables to intimidate witnesses or suspects.
Hishamuddin also told the inquiry that the MACC did not lodge any police report about the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock because there were already reports made by the public, which he said would be sufficient for the police to open investigation papers.
Asked by Cheow Wee whether this meant that the MACC was washing its hands on Teoh’s death, Hishamuddin said, “If the witness died in the MACC’s office, I myself will lodge the report but in this case, reports had been made by members of the public and investigation had been carried out.” He did not agree to Cheow Wee’s contention that police report was not made because Hishamuddin needed time “to coordinate stories” pertaining to Teoh’s death.
Hishamuddin said he had asked investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail and MACC acting assistant commissioner Hairul Ilham Hamzah to lodge a report on the day of the incident on July 16, 2006 but they did not manage to make it because MACC chief commissioner Datuk Abu Kasim Mohamed had come to the Selangor MACC office to inquire about Teoh’s death.
“At that time Mohd Anuar and Hairul Ilham were already at the Shah Alam police station but I ordered them to come back to the MACC office to explain the incident to Datuk Abu Kasim. He wanted to know the actual situation and only they could explain it,” he said.
Teoh, 30, the political aide of a Selangor executive councillor, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, Selangor, on July 16, 2009 a day after giving his statement at the Selangor MACC office located on the 14th floor of the same building.
The Commission of Inquiry is headed by Federal Court Judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen and comprises former Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, former Appeal Court judge Datuk T Selventhiranathan, Penang Hospital’s forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh and the Dean of Cyberjaya Medical Science College University, Professor Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ordered the setting up of the commission on Jan 25 this year to investigate into Teoh’s death after the Coroner’s Court returned an open verdict on the case. — Bernama