KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 12): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has rejected allegations that private interests influence its investigations.
All its probes “are conducted strictly in accordance with law, guided by evidence and carried out independently without fear or favour”, the anti-graft body said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement was in response to a Bloomberg report on Thursday that alleged the MACC, including its higher-ups, colluded with businesspersons in schemes to muscle out rivals and stage corporate takeovers.
The MACC labelled the allegations as “malicious and unfounded”, and aimed to damage its reputation.
“Any suggestion or insinuation that MACC’s investigations are influenced by private interests is categorically rejected,” the MACC said.
The commission said it will not comment on allegations that are “defamatory in nature, speculative” or involve matters that are sub judice — pending in court and not yet finally determined.
The MACC said its functions and roles are subject to oversight by five independent oversight bodies.
“Allegations of misconduct cannot be adjudicated through media narratives, but are assessed through the established legal system and due process of justice,” it noted.
It called for any party with credible and verifiable evidence of corruption or misconduct to channel such information via appropriate legal channels.
The report on the MACC comes hot on the heels of a separate controversy over chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki’s shareholding in Velocity Capital Partner Bhd (KL:VELOCITY), which allegedly exceeded limits imposed on the civil service.
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