Former ACA Director-General Zulkipli Mat Noor was cleared of corruption allegations in an initial investigation carried out last year by the ACA, revealed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz today.

The investigation was made before the issue was highlighted by anti-corruption watchdog Gerak in February, said the de facto law minister in his winding-up speech in Parliament.

"Investigations had been made. The accusations (of corruption levelled at Zulkipli) are not true," said Nazri, when responding to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

Lim had earlier asked why investigations on the former ACA chief ( photo ) - who had been accused of corruption by his subordinate, former ACA Sabah director, Ramli Manan - had been delayed.

"Ramli lodged his police report last June. Why has there been no action in nine months? Why was action taken only after a malaysiakini interview (with Ramli) last month?" asked Lim.

To the surprise of the Dewan Rakyat, Nazri said that an initial investigation by the ACA had already been carried out last year, though he did not indicate when.

"Based on the results of the investigation, the attorney-general found no cause to prosecute," Nazri added.

Nazri said another recent, more public investigation by the police, was carried out because Gerak had brought up the issue again.

"Another investigation was carried out by the police after Ezam (Ezam Mohd Nor, Gerak chairperson) highlighted the issue," he said.

'No contradiction'

Nazri's comment provoked a fiery reception from Lim.

"This is outrageous. Are you trying to say that the ACA officers were (earlier) instructed to investigate their own boss?

"Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail had recently called for the police to speed up their on-going investigation. But here you are telling us that everything is good and satisfactory. Don't come here to mislead the House," he thundered.

Nazri, at this juncture, backtracked and said that the investigation last year was also carried out by the police.

"Of course, we would ask the police to investigate the ACA chief. This is common sense. We would not ask the ACA officers to investigate their own boss, or the police to investigate theirs."

Lim: "You are contradicting yourself. What you said (Nazri's initial comment that the ACA had cleared Zulkipli) is recorded. You are misinforming the public."

Nazri then explained that when the ACA received the corruption allegations against Zulkipli, they had handed over the investigations to the police.

"There is no contradiction. The (current) investigation is being done as the allegations were raised again by Keadilan and Ezam. The police are investigating new matters that might come up," said Nazri.

To this, Lim replied: "This is a cover-up by the ACA! Why has the ministry said that investigation has been completed, but yet the inspector-general of police says the investigations have yet to be completed?"