Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has ordered the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of a senior Customs officer who fell from the MACC office building in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
He said the investigation would determine what actually happened to Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56, who was a state Customs assistant director based in Port Klang.
Ahmad Sarbani was among 63 Customs officers being investigated by the MACC for alleged corruption and graft.
"The report I got is that the deceased had gone to the MACC on his on accord to change his statement. The incident happened not during an investigation," Najib added.
"I hope the investigation on the incident will be comprehensive so that the people will know what actually happened," he told reporters after launching a programme in SMK Santubong, Sarawak, Thursday.
The Prime Minister also defended the MACC's investigations on the Customs department, saying it was to save the country's money.
Asked if a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) would be set up to investigate the matter, Najib said the police and MACC should be allowed to investigate first.
Meanwhile, 73 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have called for the immediate setting up of an RCI to investigate the matter.
They also called for MACC investigations director Datuk Mustafar Ali and all officers involved in the case to be suspended immediately.
Source : The Star
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Customs officer's death: MACC suspends two
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has suspended two officers, including one who left Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed unattended before he was found dead on the first floor of the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane here Wednesday.
According to an MACC statement Thursday, the officers were suspended with immediate effect, pending the outcome of the investigations into the death of Ahmad Sarbani.
Sources said the MACC had issued instructions to all its officers nationwide, after the Teoh Beng Hock incident, that all witnesses and suspects, including those having dealings with the MACC, not to be left unattended.
They said the move was to ensure nothing untoward occurred that could cast any doubts on what could have taken place.
(Teoh, who was the political secretary to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was taken to the Selangor MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning over alleged illegal disbursement of state funds on July 15, 2009. He was found dead at the building's fifth floor service corridor the following day.)
The sources also said the MACC had taken necessary precautions and action, and had installed CCTVs at strategic location inside the building.
The five-storey building in Jalan Cochrane, which was opened in December last year, was equipped with CCTVs but not at the windows or outside.
The sources also said a number of MACC offices nationwide were leased from other government departments and only a few belonged to the MACC.
Ahmad Sarbani, who fell to his death from the third floor, had been released on bail on April 2, after being picked up during the commission's investigation into a syndicate laundering billions of ringgit via tax evasion activities.
His body was found sprawled in an open air badminton court located on the first floor of the building at about 10.20am.
Ahmad Sarbani had gone to the MACC office here on his own accord. Initial findings revealed he had arrived at the building alone on a motorcycle at 8.26am.
Source : The Star
According to an MACC statement Thursday, the officers were suspended with immediate effect, pending the outcome of the investigations into the death of Ahmad Sarbani.
Sources said the MACC had issued instructions to all its officers nationwide, after the Teoh Beng Hock incident, that all witnesses and suspects, including those having dealings with the MACC, not to be left unattended.
They said the move was to ensure nothing untoward occurred that could cast any doubts on what could have taken place.
(Teoh, who was the political secretary to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was taken to the Selangor MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning over alleged illegal disbursement of state funds on July 15, 2009. He was found dead at the building's fifth floor service corridor the following day.)
The sources also said the MACC had taken necessary precautions and action, and had installed CCTVs at strategic location inside the building.
The five-storey building in Jalan Cochrane, which was opened in December last year, was equipped with CCTVs but not at the windows or outside.
The sources also said a number of MACC offices nationwide were leased from other government departments and only a few belonged to the MACC.
Ahmad Sarbani, who fell to his death from the third floor, had been released on bail on April 2, after being picked up during the commission's investigation into a syndicate laundering billions of ringgit via tax evasion activities.
His body was found sprawled in an open air badminton court located on the first floor of the building at about 10.20am.
Ahmad Sarbani had gone to the MACC office here on his own accord. Initial findings revealed he had arrived at the building alone on a motorcycle at 8.26am.
Source : The Star
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sacked Yayasan Foundation deputy GM claims trial to bribery
The sacked deputy general manager of the state foundation, Yayasan Selangor, has claimed trial at a Sessions Court here to three counts of agreeing to accept bribes totalling RM45,000.
Saifulruddin Sulaiman, 32, was charged with agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Drift Z Enterprise manager Husni Hirzi Rahim as a remuneration for helping to get the event management company as event manager for the foundation’s controversial 40th anniversary celebrations.
The celebrations, planned for Nov 15, last year did not take place after the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah turned down an invitation to attend as he was unhappy with the way the event was organised.
Not guilty plea: Saifulruddin walking out of the court after claiming trial to graft charges in Shah Alam Tuesday.
It was reported that the state foundation would have spent RM340,000 for a luncheon that the Sultan described as “wasteful and unbeneficial”.
The offence was allegedly committed at Saifulruddin’s house at No. 3, Jalan Platinum 7/43C in Section 7 here at about 8pm on Oct 5, last year.
He also claimed trial to a charge of agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi as remuneration for not withholding payment to the same company.
He allegedly committed the offence at his house at about 9pm on Oct 25,last year.
Saifulruddin faces a third charge of agreeing to accept a RM5,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi as an inducement to approve an additional payment for a programme amounting to RM93,982.40 to the same company.
He allegedly committed the offence in front of The Skewers restaurant in Subang Avenue at about 9pm on Nov 11, last year.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Morais offered a RM15,000 bail and informed the court that the prosecution would be calling about 10 witnesses.
Defence counsel Sawmee Ullah Nawzumeah told the court that his client had been unemployed since the incident and was supported by his wife who earned RM1,600 a month as an accountant’s assistant.
He asked for a reduced bail of RM7,000.
Judge Mat Ghani Abdullah set bail at RM10,000 and fixed July 18 for trial.
Source : The Star
Saifulruddin Sulaiman, 32, was charged with agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Drift Z Enterprise manager Husni Hirzi Rahim as a remuneration for helping to get the event management company as event manager for the foundation’s controversial 40th anniversary celebrations.
The celebrations, planned for Nov 15, last year did not take place after the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah turned down an invitation to attend as he was unhappy with the way the event was organised.
Not guilty plea: Saifulruddin walking out of the court after claiming trial to graft charges in Shah Alam Tuesday.It was reported that the state foundation would have spent RM340,000 for a luncheon that the Sultan described as “wasteful and unbeneficial”.
The offence was allegedly committed at Saifulruddin’s house at No. 3, Jalan Platinum 7/43C in Section 7 here at about 8pm on Oct 5, last year.
He also claimed trial to a charge of agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi as remuneration for not withholding payment to the same company.
He allegedly committed the offence at his house at about 9pm on Oct 25,last year.
Saifulruddin faces a third charge of agreeing to accept a RM5,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi as an inducement to approve an additional payment for a programme amounting to RM93,982.40 to the same company.
He allegedly committed the offence in front of The Skewers restaurant in Subang Avenue at about 9pm on Nov 11, last year.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Morais offered a RM15,000 bail and informed the court that the prosecution would be calling about 10 witnesses.
Defence counsel Sawmee Ullah Nawzumeah told the court that his client had been unemployed since the incident and was supported by his wife who earned RM1,600 a month as an accountant’s assistant.
He asked for a reduced bail of RM7,000.
Judge Mat Ghani Abdullah set bail at RM10,000 and fixed July 18 for trial.
Source : The Star
MACC threatened me, says DAP man
A DAP municipal councillor told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock that he was threatened and harassed by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-mission (MACC) officers.
Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah, who was taken to the Selangor MACC office for questioning on July 15, 2009, said he was threatened with bodily harm and made to worry about his wife and child.
“The officers told me they would bring my wife in and it would result in no one being around to take care of my then five-year-old child,” said Tan.
He said one of the MACC officers had also threatened to bring his daughter to the MACC office to see him cry.
Tan was brought to the state MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning on the same day as deceased political aide Teoh, in relation to investigations pertaining to the illegal disbursement of state funds.
Teoh, who was Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah's political secretary, was found dead the following day at the building's fifth floor service corridor.
Tan, who was held at the MACC office for 17 hours from 8.30pm on July 15, 2009 to 1.35pm the following day, said he was made to stand motionless in a dark room, was intimidated with a racial slur and was called stupid.
Tan added that one of the officers, Bulkini Paharuddin, who had picked him up from his Cheras home, accused him of not supplying a consignment of flags ordered by the Seri Kembangan assemblyman's office.
“I told the officers that I had bought the flags and supplied them as required,” said Tan, who had charged Ean Yong's office RM2,400 for the consignment.
Tan added that he was still accused in spite of showing them documents pertaining to the order.
“When I denied the allegation, Bulkini pointed his finger to my nose and gestured as if he wanted to beat me up,” he added.
He said the MACC officers were trying to force him to admit to their allegations to implicate Ean Yong.
“They told me I should admit my guilt if I loved my family and made me swear three times that my family will be ruined in the event I was lying,” he said.
Tan also said he had seen Teoh when he was rushing to the toilet about 2am on July 16.
His head was bowed and he was walking slowly.
“I asked him: You are still here?'
“He just mumbled: Huh',” said Tan.
Meanwhile, Selangor MACC senior assistant enforcement officer Raymond Nion John Timban, who was called after Tan, said he had seen Teoh alive at about 6am on July 16.
Earlier in the day, MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Shukri Abdul said the incident had adversely affected the anti-graft body.
He admitted that there were weaknesses in MACC's system and added it would be corrected.
Shukri also said in the event the commission finds that MACC officers were liable for Teoh's death, necessary action will be instituted against them.
“We will not protect our officers. We want justice for Teoh, his fam-ily, the public and also MACC,” he said.
Source : The Star
Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah, who was taken to the Selangor MACC office for questioning on July 15, 2009, said he was threatened with bodily harm and made to worry about his wife and child.
“The officers told me they would bring my wife in and it would result in no one being around to take care of my then five-year-old child,” said Tan.
He said one of the MACC officers had also threatened to bring his daughter to the MACC office to see him cry.
Tan was brought to the state MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning on the same day as deceased political aide Teoh, in relation to investigations pertaining to the illegal disbursement of state funds.
Teoh, who was Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah's political secretary, was found dead the following day at the building's fifth floor service corridor.
Tan, who was held at the MACC office for 17 hours from 8.30pm on July 15, 2009 to 1.35pm the following day, said he was made to stand motionless in a dark room, was intimidated with a racial slur and was called stupid.
Tan added that one of the officers, Bulkini Paharuddin, who had picked him up from his Cheras home, accused him of not supplying a consignment of flags ordered by the Seri Kembangan assemblyman's office.
“I told the officers that I had bought the flags and supplied them as required,” said Tan, who had charged Ean Yong's office RM2,400 for the consignment.
Tan added that he was still accused in spite of showing them documents pertaining to the order.
“When I denied the allegation, Bulkini pointed his finger to my nose and gestured as if he wanted to beat me up,” he added.
He said the MACC officers were trying to force him to admit to their allegations to implicate Ean Yong.
“They told me I should admit my guilt if I loved my family and made me swear three times that my family will be ruined in the event I was lying,” he said.
Tan also said he had seen Teoh when he was rushing to the toilet about 2am on July 16.
His head was bowed and he was walking slowly.
“I asked him: You are still here?'
“He just mumbled: Huh',” said Tan.
Meanwhile, Selangor MACC senior assistant enforcement officer Raymond Nion John Timban, who was called after Tan, said he had seen Teoh alive at about 6am on July 16.
Earlier in the day, MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Shukri Abdul said the incident had adversely affected the anti-graft body.
He admitted that there were weaknesses in MACC's system and added it would be corrected.
Shukri also said in the event the commission finds that MACC officers were liable for Teoh's death, necessary action will be instituted against them.
“We will not protect our officers. We want justice for Teoh, his fam-ily, the public and also MACC,” he said.
Source : The Star
Senior Customs officer in graft probe falls to death at MACC building
A senior Customs officer being investigated by the MACC for graft involving unpaid taxes is believed to have fallen to his death from the 3rd floor of the MACC Building in Jalan Cochrane on Wednesday morning.
The MACC has identified the officer as Selangor assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56.
MACC director of investigations Datuk Mustafar Ali said Ahmad was among those detained on April 1 in a nationwide operation and released on bail the next day.
He had arrived at the MACC building here alone on a motorbike at 8.26am and asked to see the investigating officer who, however, was at a meeting.
Ahmad waited at the lobby until 9.30am. Then, an officer took him to a room on the third floor and was with him until 10.15am.
The officer then left the room for a few minutes to call the investigating offier.
When he returned, he found Ahmad missing.
Ahmad's body was found lying on the first floor open-air badminton court at 10.20am, Mustafar said.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur CPO Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said a special task force has been set up to investigate the case, which has been classified as sudden death.
He said the body has been sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a post mortem, and urged people not to speculate.
MACC'S STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT
KUALA LUMPUR: Pada hari ini, 6 April 2011 diantara jam 10.15 pagi hingga jam 10.20 pagi satu kejadian telah berlaku di bangunan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur dimana seorang individu telah ditemui meninggal dunia.
Individu yang ditemui meninggal dunia ini dikenal pasti sebagai Ahmad Sarbani bin Mohamed, berumur 56 tahun, seorang Penolong Pengarah Kastam daripada Jabatan Kastam DiRaja Malaysia, Selangor.
SPRM mengesahkan bahawa penama berkenaan adalah diantara pegawai Kastam yang telah ditahan pada 1 April 2011 jam 1.00 tengahari di Pejabat Kastam Pelabuhan Utara, Pelabuhan Kelang. Penama tersebut setelah membantu dalam siasatan yang melibatkan operasi 3B iaitu satu siasatan berkaitan kesalahan di bawah Akta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia 2009, telah dilepaskan melalui jaminan pada hari Sabtu 2 April 2011 jam 12.30 tengahari. Penama tersebut telah pun meninggalkan pejabat SPRM Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur selepas dilepaskan melalui jaminan tersebut.
Pada hari ini, Rabu 6 April 2011 jam 8.26 pagi, penama berkenaan telah datang ke Pejabat SPRM Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur bersendirian dengan menunggang sebuah motorsikal. Penama ini telah meminta untuk berjumpa dengan pegawai penyiasat bagi berbincang mengenai kes terhadapnya. Oleh kerana pegawai-pegawai sedang bermesyuarat maka penama berkenaan telah menunggu di lobi pejabat sehingga jam 9.30 pagi.
Penama tersebut kemudian telah diiringi oleh seorang pegawai ke bilik pejabatnya untuk mendapatkan pegawai penyiasat menemui penama tersebut. Pegawai yang mengiringi penama tersebut telah berada bersamanya dalam bilik pejabat pegawai berkenaan.
Pada jam lebih kurang 10.15 pagi, pegawai yang mengiringi beliau telah meninggalkan penama tersebut di pejabatnya dan keluar sebentar pergi mendapatkan pegawai penyiasat. Dalam beberapa minit kemudian, pegawai tersebut telah kembali ke pejabatnya dan mendapati penama berkenaan tiada dalam bilik berkaitan.
Setelah mencari dalam kawasan pejabat, seorang pegawai telah terlihat satu tubuh manusia terlantar di tingkat 1 bangunan pejabat ini.
SPRM telah pun memaklumkan kejadian ini kepada keluarga simati dan pihak pengurusan jabatannya serta menyerahkan perkara ini kepada pihak Polis untuk mengambil sebarang tindakan.
Source : The Star
The MACC has identified the officer as Selangor assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56.
MACC director of investigations Datuk Mustafar Ali said Ahmad was among those detained on April 1 in a nationwide operation and released on bail the next day.
He had arrived at the MACC building here alone on a motorbike at 8.26am and asked to see the investigating officer who, however, was at a meeting.
Ahmad waited at the lobby until 9.30am. Then, an officer took him to a room on the third floor and was with him until 10.15am.
The officer then left the room for a few minutes to call the investigating offier.
When he returned, he found Ahmad missing.
Ahmad's body was found lying on the first floor open-air badminton court at 10.20am, Mustafar said.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur CPO Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said a special task force has been set up to investigate the case, which has been classified as sudden death.
He said the body has been sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a post mortem, and urged people not to speculate.
MACC'S STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT
KUALA LUMPUR: Pada hari ini, 6 April 2011 diantara jam 10.15 pagi hingga jam 10.20 pagi satu kejadian telah berlaku di bangunan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur dimana seorang individu telah ditemui meninggal dunia.
Individu yang ditemui meninggal dunia ini dikenal pasti sebagai Ahmad Sarbani bin Mohamed, berumur 56 tahun, seorang Penolong Pengarah Kastam daripada Jabatan Kastam DiRaja Malaysia, Selangor.
SPRM mengesahkan bahawa penama berkenaan adalah diantara pegawai Kastam yang telah ditahan pada 1 April 2011 jam 1.00 tengahari di Pejabat Kastam Pelabuhan Utara, Pelabuhan Kelang. Penama tersebut setelah membantu dalam siasatan yang melibatkan operasi 3B iaitu satu siasatan berkaitan kesalahan di bawah Akta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia 2009, telah dilepaskan melalui jaminan pada hari Sabtu 2 April 2011 jam 12.30 tengahari. Penama tersebut telah pun meninggalkan pejabat SPRM Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur selepas dilepaskan melalui jaminan tersebut.
Pada hari ini, Rabu 6 April 2011 jam 8.26 pagi, penama berkenaan telah datang ke Pejabat SPRM Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur bersendirian dengan menunggang sebuah motorsikal. Penama ini telah meminta untuk berjumpa dengan pegawai penyiasat bagi berbincang mengenai kes terhadapnya. Oleh kerana pegawai-pegawai sedang bermesyuarat maka penama berkenaan telah menunggu di lobi pejabat sehingga jam 9.30 pagi.
Penama tersebut kemudian telah diiringi oleh seorang pegawai ke bilik pejabatnya untuk mendapatkan pegawai penyiasat menemui penama tersebut. Pegawai yang mengiringi penama tersebut telah berada bersamanya dalam bilik pejabat pegawai berkenaan.
Pada jam lebih kurang 10.15 pagi, pegawai yang mengiringi beliau telah meninggalkan penama tersebut di pejabatnya dan keluar sebentar pergi mendapatkan pegawai penyiasat. Dalam beberapa minit kemudian, pegawai tersebut telah kembali ke pejabatnya dan mendapati penama berkenaan tiada dalam bilik berkaitan.
Setelah mencari dalam kawasan pejabat, seorang pegawai telah terlihat satu tubuh manusia terlantar di tingkat 1 bangunan pejabat ini.
SPRM telah pun memaklumkan kejadian ini kepada keluarga simati dan pihak pengurusan jabatannya serta menyerahkan perkara ini kepada pihak Polis untuk mengambil sebarang tindakan.
Source : The Star
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