Mazlan Harun lodges another ACA report

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Umno veteran Datuk Mazlan Harun today lodged a second report with the Anti-Corruption Agency against the Umno top leadership whom he claimed committed political graft in party elections.

He also handed over an album containing photographs, videos and documents in support of his complaint.

"What is in the album I cannot tell in detail. I am only asking for the matter to be investigated quickly," he told reporters.

An Umno member from Muar, Datuk Kadar Ninam Shah, who accompanied Mazlan, said if the ACA still did not take action within a certain period, follow-up action would be taken.

"If this second report is also not taken seriously, we will make another report or resort to other alternatives like the courts," he said.

He claimed that the Umno disciplinary board had been informed of the matter but did not take any action including investigating claims such as branch heads from several states being specially invited and provided with hotel accommodation and given souvenirs like prayer mats, plaid sarongs and cash, paid for using government funds.

On Aug 5, Mazlan, also accompanied by Kadar, lodged a report with the ACA with regard to the same allegation.

The report was based on an allegation by Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division chief Capt (R) Datuk Zahar Hashim in a letter to the Umno secretary-general that the party's top leadership had committed political graft.

In JOHOR BARU, ACA director-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan warned that the agency would take action against any parties who lodge false reports or give false information with regard to corruption involving public officers.

He said such a move not only wasted the agency's time in carrying out the investigation but was considered as defamation as it vilified people who did not commit the crime.

"We will not hesitate to take action against them under the Penal Code," he said after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the formation of an anti-corruption joint committee between the Johor Baru City Council and the ACA.

Ahmad was commenting on the decision by the Kajang magistrate's court on Monday to fine Lengkok Golf Umno branch youth head Mohd Rusihan Abu Aziz of Kelana Jaya RM2,000 after he pleaded guilty to lodging a false report on political graft on July 30.

On the problem of corruption in Puspakom Sdn Bhd, he said no further arrests had been made in connection with graft involving car approvals.

Ahmad said the ACA was still monitoring the case and expected several more arrests to be made in the future. — Bernama