Sabah Videos Show Clear Evidence Of Corruption Latheefa

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Former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya has shot down Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s move to downplay the recent corruption exposés against his administration as a form of political donation left unregulated under current laws.
Taking to X, Latheefa dismissed Hajiji’s remarks as “absurd” and “turns the law of corruption in Malaysia upside down”.
“Let me explain why. The videos show clearly a few assemblypersons confirming that they have received money from a businessperson in exchange for support to obtain a mining exploration licence from the CM of Sabah.
“These assemblypersons in return would give political support for Hajiji,” said the lawyer-activist, referring to a series of videos leaked by a whistleblower who admitted to offering bribes to eight Sabah representatives.
Latheefa claimed the full video recordings showed clear evidence of corruption and completely satisfied the definition of “gratification” under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.
Hajiji Noor“One cannot escape prosecution for corruption by hiding gratification under the cloak of ‘political donation’.
“This is the fundamental point in the Sabah corruption scandal, that must not be forgotten, despite all the attempts to cloud the issue,” stressed the Lawyers for Liberties co-founder.
In a recent post on TikTok, Hajiji addressed the alleged corruption, saying the videos leaked by a whistleblower could be referring to political donations, not bribes.
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairperson stressed while his assemblypersons have never solicited bribes, it would be a lie to say that political parties and politicians do not accept political funding from donors.
Whistleblower provisions
Latheefa further said that while the graft allegations must be proven in court, responses from authorities and the government have given rise to public distrust.
“While these things must be proven in court, does it not merit a swift and comprehensive investigation, leaving no stone unturned?
“Instead, all we have heard from the government and authorities is empty quibbling over whistleblower provisions,” she said.
“Can any member of the public be blamed for thinking that the truth is being covered up to protect a powerful political ally?
“Doesn’t it send out the signal that if you are in government, if you are connected, you will be protected and can get away with corruption?” she questioned.
Last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that there would be no cover-ups in the MACC investigation into the alleged bribery scandal.
The whistleblower had expressed his readiness to share all the purported evidence in his possession with MACC but wanted the authority to accord him protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. - Mkini

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