PUTRAJAYA (April 10. 2008): Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Gani Patail said today the probe into the alleged interference by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA)'s investigation against a former senior officer of the Economic Planning Unit will only be re-opened if there is new evidence.
As things stand now, he said, he will not reconsider reopening the case file.
"A decision has already been made. There is no re-opening. Please understand this, if there is a proper, complete investigation done, what is there anymore to guess. Be fair," said Abdul Gani.
In elaborating on the case, he said evidence was given on a one to one basis and "everybody admitted there was no recording (of what transpired between Mahathir and the ACA chief) ... nothing, and a check on the notes of proceedings proves this".
"The man said before I went for the raid, I did inform the then prime minister. The next question I asked, his response was, the then prime minister remained silent.". "I ask you (reporters) to make a deduction. How do I put my case beyond reasonable doubt?" said Abdul Gani, who asked that the matter be put to rest.
He said if new evidence is forthcoming, they will definitely re-consider re-opening the case.
The police expressed similar sentiments. When asked whether police would reopen the investigation file considering the publicity given to it of late, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said: "What for want to reopen?"
He said the probe into the case began in 1998 and their investigation papers were sent to the A-G in 2000.
He said the former A-G had made a decision there was no case because of the absence of corroborative and other evidence.
"Are there any new witnesses going to come forward? When we investigated the case, nobody came forward," said Musa.
Abdul Gani and Musa were speaking to reporters during a break in the four-corner discussion between the judiciary and the police, A-G Chambers and ACA at the judges’ annual conference in a hotel here today.
The former EPU chief's case was "resurrected" after the former United Nations Special Rapporteur Datuk Param Cumaraswamy, in a letter to theSun published last Wednesday, quoted the alleged misdeed of Mahathir, which he said needed investigation.
Param was taking up Mahathir's dare to be subjected to investigation by foreign agencies for any misdeed by him during his 22-year premiership.
Updated: 05:36PM Thu, 10 Apr 2008
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