1 week Ago By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is not involved in the alleged bribery videos related to mining, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said. Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said Hajiji was summoned twice to record his statement. "The chief minister gave his full cooperation.
We are not protecting anyone. We are transparent in conducting our investigation. "We recorded the chief minister's statement, but I cannot disclose its contents.
"He was not involved in any of those videos. "Eight other assemblymen were also called to give their statements." Azam said this after the MACC Cakna with Media programme.
The assemblymen were recalled to clarify several matters, including whether any transactions took place, and if those transactions were bribes, donations or otherwise. MACC launched the investigation last year after videos involving Sabah assemblymen were posted on a news portal. Two investigation papers were opened against businessman Albert Tei and former Sabah Mineral Management CEO Jontih Enggihon for bribery and related offences.
He said that Tei was neither a whistleblower nor did he come forward to provide information to MACC at the outset. MACC has called 34 witnesses including 18 representatives, a businessman, three former senior government officers, five special officers and seven civilians. It also said the state government had not intervened with its probe.
Azam said that neither the chief minister nor the state secretary had asked about the probe. "Eight assemblymen were implicated in the investigation, and even the chief minister's statement was recorded. "The probe was not initiated based on any formal complaint.
Instead, we gathered and verified information from various reports." © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
