Customs officers who lodged police reports over their treatment while under detention by the MACC in a recent nationwide anti-graft dragnet were censured for doing so and accused of being under the influence of an opposition party.

“All those involved were called by the customs headquarters and we were told that those who do so must have been influenced by the opposition,” said customs superintendent Abdul Rahim Abdul Kadir.

However, the customs officer maintained that he was not influenced by anybody, and made his initial report to the police with regard to his treatment while under MACC detention immediately after he was released, without even meeting anyone beforehand.

NONE Abdul Rahim lodged a police report against the MACC on April 5 after he was released from the commission’s custody.

His report alleged that he was hit on the back of the head by one of the anti-graft body’s officers and denied his right to perform prayers.

The superintendent, the twenty-fourth witness called in the inquest into the death of the late Selangor customs deputy chief Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad, however failed to name the senior customs official who made the statement.

“He was the director-general, but I forgot his name,” said Abdul Rahim in response to a question by lawyer Mohammad Shafee Abdullah, who is acting on MACC’s behalf in the inquest.

Abdul Rahim was testifying on the ninth day of the inquest into Ahmad Sarbaini’s death, before coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani.

Ahmad Sarbani was found dead at the first floor badminton court of the MACC Jalan Cochrane office on April 6, after allegedly falling from a third floor pantry window.

Both Abdul Rahim and Ahmad Sarbani were arrested along with dozens others in a joint anti-graft operation by the MACC and other government agencies, dubbed ‘Ops 3B’, against errant customs officers and forwarding agents.

The operation sought to recover RM3 billion of lost excise revenue due to graft from under-declaration of imported goods.

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