Clean competition: Azam (centre) posing with several winners of the final round of the higher education institutions’ anti-corruption debate at UTP. Also present is the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib (fourth from right). — Bernama
SERI ISKANDAR: A Singaporean is on the list of suspects wanted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in connection with the smuggling activities uncovered in Port Klang recently.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said MACC will be working closely with the Singapore government over the matter.
He said MACC will make a request to the Singapore government to hand over the suspect for investigation if the individual is still in the island republic.
“Both Malaysia and Singapore have this sort of cooperation and understanding where we hand over witnesses involved in a case.
“Seven individuals, including officers from the Customs Department, were remanded on Friday,” he told reporters after handing the MACC’s chief commissioner trophy to winners of the higher education institutions’ anti-corruption debate held at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS yesterday.
In a recent special operation in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, a special task force led by the MACC detained 19 container lorries suspected of carrying various types of smuggled goods.
The mastermind is believed to be a Singaporean.
It was reported that to avoid taxation, the syndicate made false declarations using Customs Form 9, declaring the goods as non-taxable items such as wheelchairs and medical supplies.
The investigation also revealed that these “flying containers” would enter the Public Licensed Warehouse at North Port for only 10 to 15 minutes to deceive authorities, with the containers not undergoing proper customs inspection and then being distributed throughout the country.
On the recent case in Perak involving the subdivision of Malay reserve land in Manjung, Azam said investigations are ongoing.The anti-graft agency’s chief added that several more witnesses will be called up to assist graft busters in the probe.
Investigations, he said, showed that the Malay Reserve Land status had changed to a freehold title for housing development.
“We will be calling several other witnesses involved in the case in 2012, especially those attached to the Perak Land and Mines Office (PTG) at the time.
“We will also be looking at the minutes of the meeting brought to the exco meeting for approval and we will be calling exco members during that time to give their statements as well to help in the investigations,” he added.
Azam said that he could not provide a specific time frame for their call up.
A former state PTG deputy registrar of titles was charged in court on April 30 with cheating the Perak Agricultural Land Board, resulting in the subdivision of Malay reserve land covering an area of 649.2ha in 2012, Azam said.
On May 28, a real estate company managing director was remanded for four days in an investigation over the case, he said.Azam said although the managing director has been released after his remand, this does not mean that the investigations involving him are closed.
