Panels urge MACC to 'engage' A-G over decision to close cases

PUTRAJAYA: Two oversight review panels of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have advised that the commission "engage" the Attorney-General (A-G) over the decision to close the investigations into SRC International Sdn Bhd and the RM2.6bil political donation.

Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who sits on MACC's Operation Review Panel and Special Panel, refused to confirm nor deny if this meant that the MACC should not close the case as instructed by Attorney General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.

Musa clarified that the panel "can merely advise the MACC" to communicate with the A-G over the decision to close the two cases.

"MACC has five independent panels that look after them, and we have no authority to engage with the A-G, what we can do is to advise, as our views represent the people," Musa said after a five-hour meeting at the MACC headquarters on Thursday.

Musa said, as far as he was concerned, Apandi, as the Attorney-General, had the "absolute power" to conduct prosecutions.

"For me, we have to respect the decision of the A-G because his decisions are absolute.

"But the A-G also needs to satisfy the public on his decision. That's why we advise the MACC to engage with the A-G," he said.

On Tuesday, Apandi said documents showed that US$681mil (RM2.08bil) was transferred to Najib's personal accounts between March 22 and April 10, 2013 from the Saudi royal family. Najib returned US$620mil (RM2.03bil) in August 2013 as the funds were not used.

On SRC International, Apandi said there was no evidence that Najib had abused his position during a Cabinet meeting that approved a Government guarantee on the loan from Retirement Fund Inc, a pension fund.

On Wednesday, the MACC said that it would be referring the A-G's decision to close the cases to two independent review panels.

Earlier, special operations director Datuk Bahri Mohd Zin had said that the MACC would "most likely" appeal the A-G to reconsider the decision.