BERNAMA - MACC Officers Work 24 Hours A Day, Investigate Dozens Of Cases

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MACC Officers Work 24 Hours A Day, Investigate Dozens Of Cases

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- The Commission of Inquiry (CI) investigating the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock was told Monday of the workload of Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers who had "to work 24 hours a day and investigating dozens of cases."

MACC deputy commissioner (operation) Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull said the commission has so few staff handling too many complaints in the state.

"We lack staff. Selangor has the most number of investigations and the most number of arrests. The whole staff strength is being utilise during investigations and if that is not enough, we have to get reinforcement from other states.

"We only have 25 investigating officers in Selangor. An investigating officer should only be waiting for reports but they too have to get down to the field. Recording officers also need to get down to the field," he said.

He added that the MACC cannot be selective and that it had to investigate each complaints received, all of which should be reported on a monthly basis for audit purpose.

Mohd Shukri said the MACC was now recruiting new staff especially among the Chinese.

On the MACC performance, he said, in 2010 the MACC made 1,000 arrests with 400 having been charged and between 76 and 80 per cent had been sentenced.

He said it was a good achievement and that the commission also had expertise in specific fields such as accounting and banking.

Mohd Shukri also said that the MACC did not employ aggressive methods in their investigations but more towards interviewing and using "psychological approach."

"For witnesses who are cooperative, there won't be any problem. We ask them, they answer back. For the uncooperative ones, we carry out deeper interviews. A witness should answer every question although the answer may affect others.

"The question of forcing them does not arise. They must tell the truth," he said.

He said that witnesses who were found to be lying and giving information other than what had been gathered by MACC officers, would be interviewed further.

MACC officers would also showed them evidence that had been gathered, he said, adding that they would also emphasis on religious and family values and telling them the effect of corrupt practices to children.

"Corruption is different from murder. Normally a witness in a corruption case is related to the suspects, for instance the employer or partners. So we employ the psychological methods," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Shukri said only the police are able to take action about claims of MACC officers resorting to force, and that if it involved disciplinary problem, the MACC's internal committee would move in and take action.

He said police had never shared with the MACC the types of investigation against its officers.

On claims that two MACC officers had watched pornographic movie after interviewing Teoh, he said, the MACC had taken disciplinary action against them.

The inquiry resumes Tuesday.

-- BERNAMA