Cops vs MACC: Police prevented anti-graft officers from arresting sergeant suspected of corruption

PETALING JAYA: A team of officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were threatened with arrest by a senior police officer over an anti-corruption operation at the Sepang district police headquarters last month.
Selangor deputy CID chief ACP Rusdi Mohd Isa allegedly made the threat over the phone to senior Selangor MACC investigation officer Supt Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin at the Sepang police headquarters.
In his report made at the Dang Wangi police station on June 24, Azeem said Rusdi told him that he had received instructions from the Selangor chief police officer to detain all MACC officers if they went ahead with the arrest of a police sergeant suspected to be involved in corrupt activities.
In the report, a copy of which was made available to theSun, Azeem also named two other police officers – ASP Ballo Muniappan and Insp Mohd Husny Hussein – as having obstructed him from carrying out his duties and conducting further investigations.
Sources said the incident occurred after MACC officers received a tip-off on a payment of a bribe to some CID officers in Sepang and subsequently set a trap.
"The officers moved in after the bribe was given and arrested the police sergeant, and seized the bribe money.
"They wanted to take the sergeant to their headquarters in Shah Alam for questioning when there was a series of phone calls, during which Rusdi is said to have told Azeem to cease their operations," one source said.
Following the incident, senior police and MACC officers held a high-powered meeting where the outcome was: "The issue has been resolved."
However, it is learnt that MACC is under pressure from its own prevention advisory panel to proffer charges under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstruction of a public servant from carrying out his duty.
Section 186 reads: "Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with a fine which may extend to RM1,000 or both."
A MACC prevention advisory panel member said the commission should see this issue to the every end because it challenges the power and authority to act against corrupt people.
"If MACC decides to drop the charges, it will be a sign of weakness and public perception will be that it has succumbed to pressure. 'If the police can be spared, why not us?', they would ask.
"It has always maintained that it is independent and that it takes orders from no one. Even if there is the slightest of evidence to suggest 'selective prosecution', it will severely damage MACC's reputation as a fearless corruption fighter," he added.