IN a new twist, Utusan Malaysia has now accused gambling syndicates of trying to smear Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head Dzulkifli Ahmad despite the anti-graft chief’s targeting alleged corruption in government ministries and agencies.

Editor Zulkiflee Bakar said today the smear campaign is retaliation against the anti-graft agency’s pledge to weed out gambling syndicates.

In a commentary published today, he blamed gambling syndicates for initiating a “character assassination” campaign against Dzulkifli, following his announcement on September 13 that MACC would focus on dens, operators, and enforcement authorities protecting them.

Yesterday, MACC advisory board chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said allegations that Dzulkifli had an extramarital affair with a married woman were to undermine the graft-busting agency. 

So far, the man at the centre of the allegations has kept silent, uncharacteristic of Dzulkifli, who has up till now, been making strong statements about MACC probes and recently lauded the agency’s performance in seizing millions more in assets compared with previous years.

MACC under Dzulkifli, who took office in August 2016, has recorded an increase in the number of investigation papers opened, arrests, and prosecutions.

The Malaysian Insight previously reported that there was growing disquiet within Umno and Barisan National over his zeal in nabbing those allegedly accepting bribes or involved in corrupt practices, especially government politicians. 

Utusan said gambling syndicates were striking back at Dzulkifli as probes into their activities would likely reveal corrupt practices among senior officers at enforcement agencies. 

“Among things that they fear the most is the arrest of ‘middlemen’, known as syndicate runners. The middlemen play an important role between the syndicates and authorities,” Zulkiflee said.

These middlemen would know the trail of illegal money, making them the most important element in crippling gambling activities in the country. 

“That’s why the syndicates don’t want this to happen and those who are in cahoots with the syndicates are afraid of being hauled up by MACC.”

The allegation that Dzulkifli had an extramarital affair with a married woman has so far been denied by MACC through a spokesman.

The woman at the centre of allegations came forward yesterday to say that she accepted the blame but would not reveal the real reason behind her divorce.

She also apologised to Dzulkifli and his family in a public Facebook post and said she had been under pressure to clear her name after a three-minute video implicating her and Dzulkifli went viral on social media recently.  – October 17, 2017.