Macc Told To Store High Value Evidence At Bank Negara After Rm25mil Stolen

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The MACC should store its high-value evidence at Bank Negara to avoid a similar incident where RM25 million was stolen from its storage, said the Special Committee on Corruption, one of five oversight panels for the graft buster.
"The Special Committee on Corruption recommends all cases material involving large sums of money to be stored at Bank Negara.
"If this was done previously, the theft would not have arisen," Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim, who chairs the Special Committee on Corruption, told a press conference at Parliament.
Also present at the press conference were other Special Committee on Corruption members namely senator Zaiedi Suhaili, PKR's Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim and DAP's Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai.
On Jan 4, senior MACC officer Shahrum Nizam Baharuddin, 40, was charged with the theft of US$6.94 million (RM25 million) at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
The theft was believed to have taken place between Dec 17, 2018, to April 9, 2019. The money was seized from a criminal breach of trust case.
If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail, whipping, and a fine under Section 409 of the Penal Code.
Rais Yatim congratulated the authorities on the charges.
The MACC has been facing a credibility crisis, with its MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki also facing his own controversy.
Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of 1,930,000 shares in Gets Global Berhad (previously KBES Berhad) on April 30, 2015 worth around RM772,000 at the time.
His shareholding in Gets Global Berhad went down to 1,029,500 as of March 31, 2016, worth around RM340,000 at the time.
He also held 2,156,000 warrants in Excel Force MSC Berhad in March 2016.
The share ownership in 2015 and 2016 had raised questions on whether it was commensurate with his income as a public servant. He had denied wrongdoing.
All three of his MACC deputies commissioners namely Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya (operations), Norazlan Mohd Razali (prevention) and Junipah Wandi (management and professionalism). have also come out in his defence, claiming the allegations against Azam was politically motivated.
However, the spirited defence of their boss has courted criticism for superseding investigations and raised further questions about the MACC's credibility.
Rais, in the press conference today, said the Special Committee on Corruption was of the view that the MACC must be prudent in its handling of cases.
He said this includes statements that it issues to the media, which must be of "high standards and accountable". - Mkini

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