Three Fire and Rescue Department staff who were present at an "illegal" media briefing at the Kuala Lumpur headquarters last Thursday are being investigated by the police, malaysiakini learnt today.
The same trio had been seen with department deputy director Mohd Ali Thambi Chik on Sept 14 taking photographs during a lavish wedding for the son of the director-general Jaafar Sidek Thambi, at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara.
Mohd Ali has since lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), alleging abuse of department resources for wedding preparations. Jaafar Sidek, who has denied all the allegations, is still abroad and cannot be contacted.
Last Thursday, Mohd Ali called journalists to a meeting at the department's Kuala Lumpur headquarters in Jalan Maharajalela.
He said the meeting was being held at the request of a Star journalist who eventually did not turn up. It had been in progress for almost three hours when police barged into the room.
Leonard Athanasius the city fire department director had contacted the police to stop the 'press conference' which he described as an "illegal meeting". The four journalists present were told to leave.
Mohd Ali had been showing journalists evidence, mainly in the form of minutes of department meetings and photographs, to expose alleged wrongdoings of Jaafar Sidek and senior officers.
Ready to cooperate
One of the trio said police had questioned him this morning about the meeting with the press, which he said he had attended on Mohd Ali's request.
"Apart from asking my background, most of the questions pertained to the meeting," said the officer who requested anonymity. "I have no problem with extending co-operation to the police."
The investigating officer at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters refused to comment when contacted this evening.
Mohd Ali, who has not heard from the police as yet, said he was prepared to give a statement "any time".
The department's deputy director-general (management) Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim, when contacted today, refused to comment on the matter, saying that "the press cannot solve the problem".
Wan Mohd Nor whom Mohd Ali claimed had chaired the main committee in organising the wedding had earlier defended Jaafar Sidek's actions.
Alleged corrupt practices
Last Thursday, Mohd Ali denied informing opposition parliamentarian Mahfuz Omar about the alleged scandal, which was raised in the Dewan Rakyat a week before.
He also told reporters that he was willing to face the consequences of exposing corrupt practices allegedly involving Jaafar, in particular the "sale" of Fire Certificates to building owners.
He claimed that Jaafar had committed "an act of treason" by risking the lives of many people who occupy buildings that are potential fire traps, although these have apparently been certified safe by the department.
Last Saturday, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang called for the government to suspend both Jaafar and Mohd Ali until independent investigations into the matter are conducted.
"This case also serves as an acid test of Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's recent call for zero tolerance of corruption in public services," Lim said in his statement.
"In view of Mohd Ali's action and seriousness of the allegation, Abdullah must give a categorical assurance that there will be no cover up or victimisation and that there will be no interference in the ACA investigation."
