Return immediately the confiscated documents and equipment that were seized from the MACC. This is the call made to the government today by urged a group of NGOs called the Giat Coalition.

It further called for the setting-up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, with its terms of reference including answers to key questions on the 1MDB project, including the transfer and reinstatement of the two MACC officers.

Giat said that the action of the authorities on the MACC had further eroded public trust on MACC being able to conduct investigations in an independent manner, without fear or favour.

“There must also not be any future action by authorities that can be seen as threats or intimidation on the investigators,” the coalition said in a joint statement.

Giat comprises NGOs Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), Sinar Project, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Transparency International Malaysia and Friends of Kota Damansara.

It was reported on July 26, that MACC deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Sazalee Abdul Khair was the first to be picked up by the police in their investigations under Section 124B of the Penal Code, whicjh relates to activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, and the DPP was kept overnight in the lock-up.

Subsequently, six other senior MACC officers, including special operations division director Bahri Mohamad Zin, and officers from his department, were called up.

They had their offices and homes ransacked, with the police taking away laptops and documents.

The police investigation followed the leak of an alleged charge sheet against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and another businessperson, which published by Sarawak Report .

However Bahri denied the leak was from the MACC.

Giat called for an immediate halt to activities that may obstruct the institution's competency and capability to conduct investigations.