IGP: Bukit Aman to look into allegedly 'criminal' accusations against BN over GST refunds

KAJANG: Bukit Aman will look into allegations that accuse the former Barisan Nasional government of stealing RM18bil in GST refunds.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin had called for police to address the matter as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had cleared the previous Barisan administration of such an act.

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador said that the police would take the necessary action.

"We accept his call and we are in the midst of investigating the allegation.

"We will consider several aspects and see whether further action is required," he told a press conference after awarding the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara at the General Operations Force's base in Semenyih here on Tuesday (July 16).

Asked whether Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng would be called in to have his statement recorded, Abdul Hamid said he had not done so as yet.

On Monday (July 15), Khairy urged the police to issue a statement, claiming that the allegations were tantamount to accusations of criminal activities.

"I made a statement when I lodged the police report. When the report is verified by the PAC, I think the police should follow up on that.

"Because this is in relation to a crime. If there are no criminal elements, the police must come up with a statement, at least," he told a press conference with Opposition leaders in Parliament.

Last August, Khairy lodged a report over allegations of missing monies in GST refunds, saying that the police must investigate the matter as it is a crime.

Earlier Monday, PAC chairman Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad said in a statement that no money was missing from the GST refunds.

According to Dr Noraini, the GST refunds were used for government expenditure instead.

She added that the Barisan government had collected the money and kept it in the consolidated revenue account and then transferred it in stages when it was needed, as decided by the GST refund repayment committee.

Last August, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had told Parliament that RM19.4bil was "missing".

Lim said that the former Barisan government had not been able to refund companies their credit tax from GST because 93% of the money had not been placed in the correct account.