Thesun 2009-08-21 Page01 Macc Vehicle Petrol-bombed

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Friday August 21, 2009

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Police start probe on mystery letter

by Charles Ramendran and Husna Yusop [email protected]

KLANG: An official vehicle belonging to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Klang branch on Jalan Kota was partially damaged following a Molotov cocktail attack early yesterday. Klang police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop said six Molotov cocktails were hurled at the gold-coloured Nissan X-Trail parked near the office building and the attack is believed to be the work of more than one person. He said police have lifted a fingerprint from one of the broken bottles found at the scene. They also found shards of glass from several bottles strewn on the ground next to the vehicle. Police will record a statement from the sole security guard on duty at the building. The guard claimed he was unaware of the fire, which police believe took place between midnight and 4am. The attack was discovered by a MACC staff member who reported for work at about 7.30am. A senior MACC officer lodged a police report soon after that. The MACC Klang branch, situated in the same building as the Klang district office, and land office, is headed by Jamilah Hanafi and started operations two months ago. Its opening was delayed because of the negative publicity received by the MACC after political aide Teoh Beng Hock’s death at the state headquarters in Shah Alam. Efforts to get comments from MACC officers in Klang were futile. An officer told reporters all statements must come from the MACC headquarters. In Putrajaya, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz described the attack as “a cowardly act” possibly by underground elements. Expressing concern for the safety of the MACC personnel, he described the incident as an attempt to threaten and create fear among them in carrying out their duties. Nazri told reporters after presenting excellence awards to MACC

A police officer checks the MACC vehicle damaged in the Molotov cocktail attack.

MACC vehicle petrol-bombed officers the incident will not frighten them or stop them from doing their work. “We will not allow anarchy or threat to succeed in this country,” he said. He said the MACC personnel have been trained, including on the use of weapons, and some are allowed to carry arms while on duty. MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan said the officers were prepared for the worst

as there were cases where they were shot at. On the situation faced by MACC officers following Teoh’s death, he said: “They are doing their work but they are a bit under pressure because of the negative things said about us.” He said to accuse the MACC officers of being involved in murder was “unthinkable” and some of them were in trauma over such accusations. Ahmad Said said some of them

were threatened and even had their houses surrounded by gangsters. MACC advisory panel member Tan Sri Robert Phang condemned the petrol-bomb attack and appealed to the people not to resort to such acts of violence. Phang, who sits on the corruption consultation and prevention panel, said they should offer constructive suggestions, proposals or advice to MACC so it can revamp its system for the betterment of the people.

SHAH ALAM: Selangor police chief DCP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday police have started a probe into the damning claims made in a letter following an order by coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest on Wednesday. “The investigating officer has commenced the probe and the findings will be handed over directly to the coroner,” he said. He did not say how long the probe will take. Khalid’s attention was also drawn to the fact that a website had yesterday published the contents of a letter believed to be that handed by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo to the coroner on Wednesday. The court had recorded an agreement by all parties not to publicise the contents of the letter until police had done their investigation. As such, it could not be ascertained if this was the same letter uploaded on the website. Khalid said if this was true, the act of uploading the letter could amount to contempt of court and if the court orders the police to take action, a probe will be initiated. He declined further comment. The anonymous letter on the website named a senior politician and a Selangor MACC official and made a series of explosive allegations. According to Gobind, the sixpage typewritten letter contained “explicit details” which may be material to the case. He had said the letter was not addressed to him, and he had merely received a copy. The high-profile inquest is being held to find out the cause of Teoh’s death. Teoh, who was the political aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth level of Plaza Masalam on July 16, after having been questioned by the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office, located on the 14th floor of the same buildilng.