KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has closed the file on cases involving Attorney General Tan Sri Abd Ghani Patail and former Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel member Tan Sri Robert Phang.
MACC Operation Assessment Panel chairman Tan Sri Hadenan Jalil said the OAP at its meeting yesterday agreed with the commission that no further action should be taken on the two cases.
“We went through the findings of the MACC investigation and agree unanimously to close the two cases,” he told reporters here.
He said the panel was satisfied that the investigation on Abdul Ghani, who was alleged to have received funds to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca, had shown no wrong doing.
As for the probe on Phang, accused of trying to bribe a ministry secretary general, Hadenan said that no evidence was found to justify charges against anyone.
The panel also agreed to close 57 cases at its meeting, the second that it has held this year. Hadenan said that 5,646 reports on alleged corruption were received last year, and 1,220 investigation papers were opened.
Of the cases investigated, 428 concerned accepting of bribes, 349 giving of bribes, 280 making false claims, 77 abusing of power and 86 other acts of corruption, he added.
Hadenan said that 944 people were arrested, 545 of them members of the public, 293 civil servants, 102 private sector employees, and four politicians. He said that MACC followed up on anonymous allegations of corruption but preferred reports furnished with evidence.
Hadenan said that about 30 per cent of reports on alleged corruption received every year were through anonymous letters.
From 2009 to 2010, 8,149 anonymous letters were received, 1,758 files were opened in response to them, but investigations resulted in only one case brought to court, he said.
He said that 80 to 100 officers investigated allegations in the anonymous letters.
Hadenan said that people wishing to report corruption can do so at any MACC office or through the website [email protected] or by toll-free telephone 1-800-88-6000.
“They don’t have to worry about confidentiality not being observed or about their identity being revealed.
The Whistle Blower Protection Act is in force,” he said. — Bernama