MACC: Special corruption courts key to high conviction rate for graft

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki at the SPRM media awards presentation ceremony at its headquaters in Putrajaya on June 14, 2022. – AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

PUTRAJAYA: The establishment of special corruption courts is a key factor in the country’s high conviction rate of graft cases, says Tan Sri Azam Baki.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said in 2021, the conviction rate for corruption cases was 91.1%, which he described as a stellar achievement by the anti-graft body.

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"The international standard for conviction rate of corruption cases is 75%, but we managed to achieve 91%, which is an impressive feat.

"One of the main reasons why we can achieve this is that we have special courts meant to deal with corruption cases.

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"Due to that, cases are sped up while the judges involved are those with clear knowledge of laws related to corruption," said Azam at a press conference after the MACC Media Awards 2022 here.

Azam also said MACC had adopted a more systematic approach in its investigations, which has helped the agency to prosecute more efficiently.

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"Also, we are helped by information and tip-offs from the public," said Azam.

In his speech at the event earlier, Azam said last year, 292 out of the 1,283 corruption cases had concluded their trials.

He said of the 292 cases, 266 have ended up with convictions - which translates to a rate of 91.1%.