THERE is no need to further investigate Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki over his shares ownership controversy as the Securities Commission’s (SC) findings still stand, de facto law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.

He said all parties should accept the SC’s decision and explanation of its investigation that there is no case against Azam regarding the use of his trading account.

“The result of the SC’s investigation should be used as a guide,” Wan Junaidi said in a parliamentary written reply, referring to the SC’s January 18 statement that Azam was found to have been in control of his shares trading account at all times.

“The issue is settled. There is no need for (it) to be deliberated further.

“Azam has also taken legal action against parties who have defamed him, the case is in court and any discussion of the case would be sub juice,” the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) said.

He was replying Lim Lip Eng (Kepong-PH), who asked about the status of investigations into the issue, and how many enforcement agencies were involved.

Wan Junaidi said Azam had been cleared based not only on the SC’s findings, but also three committees that he had faced.

The minister said these committees were the MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board, the Parliamentary Committee on Corruption and the Public Complaints Committee.

“The government doesn’t protect certain individuals and doesn’t selectively prosecute others just to please some quarters,” Wan Junaidi said.

Azam’s shares ownership controversy became public last year freelance investigative journalist Lalitha Kunaratnam wrote about his business links and equities held in a two-part article on a website.

The same allegations in the article were brought to prominent economist Dr Edmund Terence Gomez, who was a member of MACC’s Corruption Prevention Panel. Gomez resigned last December to protest the lack of action taken to address the matter with Azam.

The advisory board in early January said Azam had done nothing wrong after questioning him. Azam also said then that the shares were bought by his brother and transferred to him, leaving him (Azam) with no pecuniary interest.

The SC’s statement later the same month said Azam was in the clear and had not violated any laws on trading accounts by allowing another person to use it.

It raised the question whether Azam had lied to the public and there were further calls by civil society groups and lawmakers to probe the anti-graft chief commissioner.

The Special Select Committee on Agencies Under the Prime Minister’s Department also wanted Azam to appear before it to give an explanation, but he has refused. – March 23, 2022.