INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police Abdul Hamid Bador took his allegations of corruption among the ranks up another notch when he included his predecessors on the list of cops allegedly on the take.

That he has chosen to make these accusations at the end of his tenure, during which he had failed to fulfil many of the promises he had made at the start, leaves much to be desired.

Hamid must specify who these corrupt officers are so as not to tar the entire force with the same brush.

He must back his vague and generalised accusations against former top cops with an official report, as is required of a cop by law.

I presume all police officers with vested interests, those presently serving and in the past, want him to clarify in detail so as to allow a specific probe on the allegations to be carried out. Those responsible must be held accountable regardless of when the offence occurred.

These extremely serious allegations coupled with his belief that there is a conspiracy by a cartel of his subordinates to remove him, need to be ventilated swiftly before the end of his contract in May.

The alleged mutiny or its attempt by his subordinates is a seizable offence in the Police Act. This alleged nexus has to be made clear. Making allegations that cannot be proven can be counterproductive too. It can also be misinterpreted as an attempt to get an extension.

Only a thorough independent probe can set things straight.

An independent investigation must commence without delay as the overall image and morale of the men in blue is at stake. The potential loss of public confidence and trust in the police force is looming apart from the fact that the whole criminal justice system can be affected if these allegations are not put to bed by an independent probe.

Previous IGPs upon taking the helm had also promised to clean the police force of corruption and factionalism.

Obviously, to judge by Hamid’s recent revelations, these efforts have not gone very far. The problem does not lie in only the men in blue but mainly in the corridors of political power.

This is evident from the number of politicians who have been recently prosecuted for corruption and abuse of power. The 1MDB affair is one such indicator of endemic corruption in the the system.
 
The offences disclosed by the IGP warrant police reports to be lodged as it is a legal requirement.

I presume the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is probably already on the ball as it is their job to investigate such claims.

The IGP has to work fast to set in place mechanisms to investigate his own allegations by ensuring that the information and evidence he has can be handed over to a trusted entity so that they do not disappear.

That is the least he can do to ensure the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice. – March 23, 2021.

* G. Selva reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.