Did the Chief Commissioner lose command?

Two MACC Operations Review Panel (ORP) members, Chairman Tan Sri Hamid Bugo and member Tan Sri Jawhar Hassan denied that the Commission had adequate evidence to prosecute Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak.

It was reported by The Malaysian Insider this morning.

It is believed that the erroneous reporting was made with a malice intent, as part of the strategy to demonise Prime Minister Najib. As such, it is believed that this is reason MCMC blocked the pro-Anwarista news portal.

Hamid and Jawhar also proclaimed that ORP did not conclude “The MACC officers had collected sufficient evidence to prove a prima facie against Najib”. Nor did the ORP issue a request to make a statement on their discussion.

So if the ORP did not make such request, why did MACC issue the statement last night?

More interestingly, by whose authority was the statement issued?

In the first place, what do these MACC officers expect Attorney General Tan Sri Apandi Ali to do when seven days after by their own admission “The investigation papers were incomplete” and no need evidence and/or substainted information credible enough introduced?

As a background, Hamid was a former career civil servant in Sarawak and Jawhar was an academician turned strategic analyst.

It can’t be helped by the suspicion that Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed is unable to control and command some of his key personnel and senior officers properly and observe the discipline and professionalism.

Rumours have been circulating that some of these senior officers have political leaning and their personal affinity to political agenda has affected professional judgment and conduct.

Last August Police arrested and questioned two senior officers for ‘Leaking information’ on the Special Task Force formed to investigate the scandalous reporting pertaining to 1MDB.

It has now brought new light on why that harsh action was taken against MACC officers, who have been said to be actively investigating all the reports against 1MDB, the RM2.6 billion donation and SRC International.

For MACC, being seen to be incompetent or having a political agenda is already bad. Now, the suspicion is the Chief Commissioner is not in control of his own command.

*Updated 2315hrs

Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim issued a statement tonight that MACC is not challenging the Attorney General’s authority:

NST story:

MACC: We are not challenging AG’s authority

BY NST ONLINE – 25 FEBRUARY 2016 @ 10:59 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today said it had taken note of the advice and recommendations made by the commission’s Operations Review Panel on its investigation into issues related to SRC International and the RM2.6bil donation.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, in a statement tonight, said he also hoped that certain quarters do not misinterpret it as the commission challenging the authority of the Attorney-General.

The advice and recommendations, he said, were made during the panel’s 29th meeting yesterday. “I hope the matter isn’t misinterpreted by any quarters as challenging the authority of the Attorney-General.

“I would like to stress that as per Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, the powers of prosecution falls under the Attorney-General,” he said. Abu Kassim also refuted media reports that the government would abolish the two independent panels which oversee the commission’s operations.

He said the government is in the midst of appointing new panel members for the two bodies, which are the ORP and the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel. Both panels, he said, were established under the MACC Act 2009.

“The government is in the process of appointing new panel members for the new term,” he said.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/02/129598/macc-we-are-not-challenging-ags-authority

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Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim must appreciate that in the past 24 hours, a lot of doubts if not negative connotations have been casted against him and the Commission.

That is a lot of goodwill he has to redeem.