MACC officers will not be arrested: Zahid

PUTRAJAYA: No further action will be taken against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers called in to give their statements over the leakage of information on social media, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In giving the assurance, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the home minister, said the MACC officers were required by the police to only give their statements.
"I guarantee that there will be no arrests of MACC officers by the police, it is only to take their statements. I guarantee that there will be no further action.
"We do not want information to be leaked out before there is a conclusion of investigations," he told reporters after Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali paid a courtesy call on him here today.
Zahid said any arrest of MACC officers in the future would be in compliance with police investigation procedures.
He also said that the investigation into the information leak on social media was focused not only on the MACC but also other agencies.
The deputy prime minister said the leakage should not have happened as the information was protected under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972.
"Of course, we suspect a hidden agenda behind the leakage. No country in the world allows leakage of information," he said.
Asked to comment on the statement by MACC Special Operations Division director Datuk Bahari Mohammad Zin on the "invisible hand" which had directed the police action against the MACC, Zahid said: "It was not an official statement of the MACC; the individual concerned was expressing his frustration at what happened."
The MACC is involved in the investigation into SRC International and the issue of RM2.6 billion having been deposited into a bank account of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Ahmad Zahid said the good relations between the police and MACC should be maintained to enhance the trustworthiness, integrity and credibility of all concerned. – Bernama