Abu Zahar: Up to PM to decide on Azam’s case

Q & A time: Abu Zahar answering a question from the media at the press conference at MACC headquarters. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

PUTRAJAYA: The Anti-Corruption Advisory Board will present its finding on the issue of purchased shares linked to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief to the Prime Minister, says its chairman.

Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang believed the issue was of utmost importance as it was of public interest.

“I will convey this to the Prime Minister and it will be up to his discretion on what he wants to do next,” he said during the highly-anticipated press conference at the MACC headquarters yesterday.

Abu Zahar was asked to comment whether he was prepared to inform the Prime Minister following calls – especially from the Opposition – to clarify the matter.

“I think this is a serious matter and even the rakyat want to know about it, including those at the grassroots level,” he added.

He also hoped the matter would not be politicised.

Abu Zahar said it was, however, unnecessary to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe the matter, adding that this could be settled without having to form an RCI, which would cost a lot of money.

“This is a simple matter, as one side says this, while we say another. So, it is up to the rakyat to decide what the real situation is,” he added.

Earlier, Abu Zahar revealed that there was no pecuniary interest or conflict of interest on the part of MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki over the issue of acquiring shares of two companies in 2015.

Abu Zahar said this was because the MACC chief commissioner did not purchase the shares himself as it was done by his younger brother, Nasir.

The board, he said, had called for a meeting on Nov 24 last year and had summoned Azam to explain the allegations.

“In the meeting, Tan Sri Azam explained to me and the rest of the board members that his brother had used his (Azam’s) share trading account to acquire the shares in 2015.

“The shares were bought in the open market and there is no conflict of interest there,” he said.

The board was also told that the shares had been transferred to Nasir’s own trading account later the same year.

“After a lengthy discussion, the board members are of the opinion that Tan Sri Azam did not have any pecuniary interest on the said shares.

“The board is satisfied with the explanation given and found that there is no criminal conduct or conflict of interest on the part of Tan Sri Azam on this matter,” said Abu Zahar.

He said the board had wanted to make public its findings pertaining to the case.

“Unfortunately, the matter was brought earlier to the public’s attention by former MACC panel member Dr Edmund Terence Gomez,” he said.

Allegations had surfaced that Azam owned a substantial amount of shares in Gets Global Bhd as well as Excel Force MSC Bhd between 2015 and 2016, when he was the MACC director of investigations.