MACC nears completion of ‘Ops Sky’ probe

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is finalising its investigation into ‘Ops Sky’, an operation targeting corruption and money laundering involving a financial consulting firm and officials from multiple financial institutions.

Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the probe is expected to conclude within a month, after which the findings will be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.

“To complete the investigation, the MACC plans to interview an additional five to 10 witnesses, including bank officers, employees of the consulting firm, new borrowers, and individuals from related organisations.

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“These sessions are scheduled over the next two weeks,” he said after a recording session of the ‘Bicara Naratif’ programme produced by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) at Wisma Berita RTM here Sunday (Feb 16).

Azam emphasised the importance of these testimonies, particularly from bank officers, to clarify specific procedures and ensure a comprehensive understanding of the case.

In January, Ops Sky led to the arrest of 12 individuals and the seizure of 4,000 documents, with 98 bank accounts frozen, amounting to over RM17mil.

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In a separate matter, the MACC has recently recorded statements from five witnesses, including a Sabah politician, concerning corruption allegations against a state assemblyman.

These actions follow the emergence of videos alleging misconduct in awarding state projects. The MACC’s forensic analysis however, indicates that the videos have been edited and lack credibility, rendering them inadmissible as evidence.

Azam said the whistleblower who released the videos has not provided additional evidence to support the claims, adding that MACC respects press freedom and currently has no plans to summon the portal that published the videos.

A news portal recently released several video recordings allegedly depicting a state assemblyman receiving substantial sums of money in exchange for supporting a company’s project application in the state. – Bernama