MORE discrepancies and questions have been raised following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Anti-Corruption Advisory Board’s clearance of chief commissioner Azam Baki from any wrongdoing, PKR lawmakers said.

In a joint statement, they said advisory board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang’s answers to the media at a press conference yesterday failed to address many other issues, such as the money trail between Azam Baki and his brother, who is said to have used the former’s trading account to buy shares.

“We find that Abu Zahar’s explanation raises more questions than clears the air on whether Azam Baki’s ownership of these shares and warrants (questions over) criminal offences and abuses of power.

“There appears to be institutional failure of the oversight mechanisms of the MACC, which will have to be referred to higher authorities, including Parliament, for resolution.

“We are disappointed that the advisory board has reached its conclusions just on the basis of one meeting on November 24 last year with only Azam only,” the lawmakers said today.

They also held a press conference today, at which Sungai Buloh member of Parliament R. Sivarasa from PKR questioned Abu Zahar’s explanations.

“One would have thought, given the seriousness of the issue, that the MACC oversight panels should have conducted a full investigation calling in all relevant witnesses and gathering all relevant documentation.

“We are asking Abu Zahar why it took the advisory board almost three weeks to respond publicly after this issue was raised in Parliament on December 14, since we now know that the board had met Azam on November 24.

“Abu Zahar says that all complaints that are made must be accompanied by strong evidence. This is the wrong approach by the MACC oversight mechanisms.”

“One cannot expect complainants to have the capacity and power to collect strong evidence. It should be sufficient if a complainant has some credible evidence, which raises issues to be investigated,” he said.

Azam is said to have owned 1,930,000 shares in Gets Global Berhad in 2015, which Sivarasa said would have cost at least a million ringgit to buy.

The graft-buster also owned over two million shares in Excel Forces MSC Berhad in 2016.

‘Did the advisory board check the money trail?’

Abu Zahar told the press yesterday that, according to Azam’s explanation, the purchase of the shares was made by the chief commissioner’s brother, Nasir, using Azam’s trading account.

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

Sivarasa asked if Abu Zahar or the board members had seen the documentation of the movement of this money from Nasir to Azam before they decided to clear Azam.

Sivarasa, who was the MP who first raised the matter in Parliament, also disclosed the transactions involving Azam and Nasir during today’s press conference.

“In 2016, Azam reduced his shareholding to about 1 million shares. Did the board ask if Azam received any dividends from the shares? If so, did he keep the money or give it to Nasir?

“In 2016, Azam also bought 2,156,000 warrants in Excel Forces MSC. Where did these monies come from? If Abu Zahar is now saying that he received money from Nasir to buy the warrants, why did Nasir buy 3,728,000 shares in Gets Global in his own name without buying through Azam,” asked Sivarasa.

Sivarasa then asked if Abu Zahar had investigated the money flow between Azam and his brother.

“Even if we assume Azam’s version is true, it is a serious offence contrary to section 25(4) the Securities Industry (Central Depository) Act 1991 to allow another person to use your share account to buy or sell shares, punishable with millions of ringgit in fines and up to 10 years jail,” he said.

With Sivarasa at the press conference today were other PKR lawmakers, including Maria Chin Abdullah, Maszlee Malik, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and Fahmi Fadzil. – January 6, 2022.