Ahmad Zahid: No reason to suspend CID chief

PUTRAJAYA: There is no reason for either the Home Ministry or the police force to suspend Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd despite the ongoing probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
"The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has issued a statement and clearly stated that Wan Ahmad has explained the whole truth to him.
"We took that as the truth and I believe the explanation given by him is based on evidence and the IGP has (personally) the sale and purchase document and the transactions to finance two of his children in Australia," he told reporters after attending the Home Ministry's monthly meeting here.
He added that while the MACC or any other agencies are free to conduct investigations, Wan Ahmad Najumuddin should "stay free" and not be suspended as he followed all procedures related to the investigations against him.
Ahmad Zahid's response came after IGP Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun last week said police investigations had cleared Wan Ahmad of any wrongdoing.
On Monday, theSun quoted MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki as saying investigations into Wan Ahmad have begun after an unidentified whistleblower lodged a report on the RM1 million that was deposited into the CID director's Australian bank account.
However, the MACC remained tight-lipped on the identity of the complainant because the person is protected under the Whistleblowers Protection Act, meaning that his identity cannot be revealed.
It was also reported by theSun that the commission's investigation officers will head out to the federal police headquarters at Bukit Aman and liaise with Australian police to seek further information on the case.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Wan Ahmad Najmuddin had been stripped of more than A$320,000 (RM978,000) by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which suspected that his Sydney bank account held laundered money or proceeds from crime.
The Australian newspaper report said the Bukit Aman CID director had opened a Commonwealth Bank "Goal Saver" account in 2011, listing his address at Bankstown and then Glebe in Sydney.
One week after he concluded an Australian trip in 2016, the account received a flurry of cash deposits.
Wan Ahmad Najmuddin has not tried to wrest the money back from authorities, saying court action was too expensive but has denied any wrongdoing.
He also reportedly told Fairfax Media that he had given an explanation and his department had also written a letter to the AFP.
He added that he arranged for a close friend in Malaysia to transfer the money to pay for his daughter's master's degree.
On another matter, the tenure of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim has been extended to another year, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced today.
"He was scheduled to retire on March 17 but we have decided to extend his services for one more year.
"Noor Rashid is expected to receive his official letter of extension from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong soon," he said after attending the Home Ministry's monthly meeting, here, today.
Noor Rashid who was present at the event remained mum, refusing to elaborate further.
The 60-year-old had served the police force since 1984 was due to retire this month.
He had been appointed deputy IGP on December 2014. It was learnt that five candidates were in contention to replace him, one of them being Bukit Aman Strategic Resources and Technology (StaRT) Department director Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.