Nurul Izzah presses for probe on Dr M, A-G for power abuse
By Debra Chong
March 29, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — As pressure piles on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over his alleged sex video scandal, his daughter pushed today for the police to investigate two of the country’s most powerful men for corruption.
“I urge PDRM to investigate the four police reports lodged by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim between July 9, 1999 and August 20, 1999, concerning the abuse of power by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail as mentioned in an open letter by Datuk Mat Zain [Ibrahim] to the Police Inspector-General yesterday,” Nurul Izzah Anwar (picture) said in a statement today.
The PKR vice-president was referring to the former Kuala Lumpur CID chief who had disclosed a series of allegations implicating Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and Abdul Gani, the government’s top prosecutor, in a heady web involving Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, one third of the “Datuk T” trio behind the sex video.
Mat Zain had weighed in on the current controversy and said Abdul Rahim was unlikely to be charged for his role in the video due to Abdul Gani’s influential position today as the A-G.
The former cop accused Abdul Gani of having once hijacked an investigation against Anwar back in 1999 in order to conceal his role in “indemnifying” the former Malacca chief minister from being prosecuted for corruption.
Mat Zain said that the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) back then had recommended that Abdul Rahim be prosecuted for four counts of corruption — three under the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance and one for making a false statutory declaration, punishable under section 193 of the Penal Code.
Anwar had filed a police complaint against Dr Mahathir, then Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohtar Abdullah and Abdul Gani, who was then a senior deputy public prosecutor and who had “indemnified” Abdul Rahim from prosecution in exchange for his resignation from all government and political posts.
In his open letter to IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Mat Zain said he expected the police to handle the ongoing investigations on the sex video case in a professional manner, but expressed concern that Abdul Gani’s participation would eventually see Abdul Rahim walking away a free man again.
“I am fully confident that the police are able to carry out their responsibilities in a professional and impartial manner and will not be influenced by outside pressures.
“However, this investigation will later be handled by Abdul Gani as the Attorney-General. It is at this stage where it is expected that manipulation, fraud and forgery will occur, particularly when one is aware of how Abdul Gani and (former IGP) Musa (Hassan) handled the other cases involving Anwar and Abdul Rahim,” he told the IGP in his letter.
Mat Zain was the investigating officer in the infamous 1998 “black-eye” case involving Anwar.
He has repeatedly accused Abdul Gani of being corrupt and having committed numerous offences to protect his position.
Among others, he has claimed that Abdul Gani had falsified evidence in the probe against Anwar for his first sodomy trial, including the DNA evidence.
“Now, although Musa has retired, but Abdul Gani is still the A-G. So when this sex video investigation reaches him, it can be expected what his stand will be, especially since this video is yet another clash between Abdul Rahim and Anwar,” he said.
Mat Zain stressed that he had no personal vendetta against Abdul Rahim but was concerned that the sex video case would see the former chief minister getting off scot-free despite his admission to his involvement in the caper.
Abdul Rahim, along with businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, had last week admitted to being behind the sex video allegedly featuring Anwar having sex with a foreign prostitute.
Anwar has since denied being the man in the tape and has gone on a nationwide campaign to convince voters of his innocence.
