MEMBERS of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s anti-corruption advisory board have been asked to confirm if there was a meeting on November 24, which cleared Azam Baki of allegations over share purchases.

Former member Edmund Terence Gomez, who quit in protest last month over lack of action by the board, said the members should explain why they did not insist on an independent investigation into Azam’s share ownership.

“I raise this question for this reason. If a meeting was held on November 24, why was I not told of this when I discussed this matter with some board members in December? Why was I not told that Azam had been exonerated by the board members at this meeting?” the academic said in a statement today.

“If there was a meeting on November 24, then another question must be answered. The board members have confirmed that they do not have the authority to exonerate Azam of the allegations made against him. If they state this now, why then did they exonerate Azam at the meeting on November 24?

“It is not sufficient for the advisory board members to distance themselves from (board chairman) Abu Zahar’s statements at his press conference. The board members must also explain why they did not insist on an independent investigation into these allegations against Azam when this was first brought to their attention.”

Gomez’s statement comes as six board members disassociated themselves from their chairman’s move to clear Azam of any wrongdoing on the issue of corporate share ownership.

The members, in a statement, said they did not share the views of chairman Abu Zahar Ujang on the matter. 

“We categorically wish to state that the board members at that meeting or at any time thereafter did not express such opinion as Abu Zahar attributed to,” they said earlier today.

The members were referring to Abu Zahar’s recent remarks that the board found Azam had done no wrong after hearing his explanation that the shares belonged to his brother, who had used his trading account.

The shares were later transferred to the brother and, as such, there was no conflict of interest, he added.

The members said the comments made at a press conference on Wednesday were entirely Abu Zahar’s personal view.

This matter was raised in Parliament on December 14 by Sungai Buloh MP R. Sivarasa, who questioned whether Azam had declared the alleged 2.15 million shares owned in Excel Force MSC Bhd in 2015 as well as 1.93 million shares in Gets Global Bhd the same year and 1.02 million shares the following year.

Azam had also said he had informed his superiors in 2015 about the purchase of the shares by his brother and there were no concerns raised. – January 8, 2022.