MACC probe took longer than RCI on TBH's death
The government is not serious about justice for deceased political aide Teoh Beng Hock, says DAP adviser and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang.
The government is not serious about justice for deceased political aide Teoh Beng Hock, says DAP adviser and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang.
This is because the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took three times longer to conduct its internal probe into its officers involved in Teoh's death than the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) did.
Commenting on the MACC's announcement today, Lim expressed disappointment that MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed only decided to take "disciplinary action" against the three officers after such a long period of investigation.
Lim noted that the entire RCI process took less than four months, from its first public hearing on Feb 24, 2011, till the submission of its report on June 22, 2011.
The RCI report was published on July 21 last year, in which it named the trio - former Selangor MACC investigations unit head Hishamuddin Hashim, investigations officer Mohd Anuar Ismail and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus - of pressuring Teoh to such an extent during questioning in July 2009 that he ‘committed suicide' .
In contrast, Lim said, the MACC had then pledged to promptly take appropriate action on the RCI findings and recommendations, but it spent a much longer time in its investigations against Hishamuddin, Anuar and Ashraf.
"The message is very simple and crystal clear - the Najib (Abdul Razak) administration and the MACC are just not serious in wanting to bring Teoh's killers to justice!" he added in a statement today.
Independent inquiry needed
Abu Kassim had said earlier today that MACC's recommendations for disciplinary action would soon be forwarded to the agency's complaints committee.
Hishamuddin, Anuar Ismail and Ashraf were blamed by the RCI' for conducting three strenuous rounds of interrogation and intense questioning of Teoh that pushed him to the brink , leading to Teoh eventually committing suicide.
Lim said an independent inquiry was needed to establish why the MACC took three times longer than the RCI and has failed to complete its internal probe until now.
"If MACC really accepted the RCI findings, have all the MACC officers concerned who had acted with impunity in the death of Teoh and then conspired to cover up the truth and commit the crime of perjury, both at the Teoh's inquest and at the RCI hearing with false evidence, been charged in court?" he asked.
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