No double standards

PUTRAJAYA: Anti-graft authorities are charging one of their own for committing a crime that they themselves are fighting so hard against – corruption.

The junior officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comm­ission Federal Territory office was caught for allegedly demanding money from a police officer who is being investigated by the commission.

Apparently, the man in his 30s was nabbed at his home in Bangi last week and the arresting team found RM20,000 on him, believed to be the money he solicited from the police officer.

The police officer, said to be holding the rank of Inspector, is being investigated for corruption.

MACC investigations director Datuk Azam Baki said the accused would be charged in the Shah Alam courts today.

“To have an officer of an anti-graft body committing the crime is totally unacceptable,” he said when interviewed.

While such incidents were rare, he called on the public to lodge reports if MACC personnel were involved in any wrongdoing.

“We will act against our own people, just like how we act against any member of the public for committing corruption – bribery or abuse of power.

“There will be no double standards,” he assured.

Azam also dismissed a blog posting claiming that the MACC officer’s arrest was connected to an investigation that had involved Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

“We did not arrest him for attempting to dispose of evidence in investigations involving the Chief Minister. He was nabbed for allegedly soliciting a bribe,” he clarified.

A blog posting claimed that the MACC was trying to dispose evidence gathered during its investigation on Lim’s purchase of a bungalow below market prices by arresting the officer, who is from Penang.