Nazri: ACA taking too long to probe taxi permit issue

BY K. SAITHURUKA

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has chided the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for taking “so long” to interview him over allegations that 6,000 taxi permits were issued to an individual through 19 companies, saying that the documents involved were seized some three months ago. 

The Entrepreneur Development Minister said: “Their officers seized the documents three months ago. If you say you want to talk to me, call me. Please do it quickly.  

“I am not concerned about myself but the ACA should do its job. Check on the allegations. There is no need to make statements about calling me and I don't know why it is taking so long,'' he said, adding that the matter was of public interest, adding that the agency should solve it quickly. 

Nazri, who spoke to reporters after attending a Hari Raya gathering with taxi drivers here yesterday, was responding to a statement by ACA investigations director Datuk Nordin Ismail who on Wednesday said the agency would be calling the minister for an interview over the issue.  

Nordin had said the agency had requested Nazri's co-operation but had yet to call him and Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) chairman Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar, adding that the agency was in the process of interviewing his officers. 

He added that documents were also seized from the CVLB office and that the agency had interviewed 15 taxi drivers and eight taxi company operators. 

Nordin had also said investigations included looking at possibilities of bribery in issuing the permits and that ACA was interested to know how the permits were issued to companies in which parties involved in the approval process had “vested interest”. 

Nazri said it was easy to determine whether so many permits were given out to one person through the documents seized. 

“All my documents are public documents. They can see for themselves how many companies are allocated permits and if one person's name is in so many companies,'' he said. 

When contacted by The Star, Nordin said it was ACA's prerogative to call whoever it wanted as the first and last witnesses. 

“It is up to Nazri to say whatever he wants because that is his opinion. Three months is not very long and the investigations are not as easy as some would think,” he said. 

The Malaysian Taxi/Limousine and Hired Car Drivers and Operators Association highlighted the case in August and its president Yusoff Lahir lodged a report alleging that 6,000 permits had been improperly issued to an individual through nine companies.