MACC denies Guan Eng's 'double standards' accusation

MACC has denied Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's accusation that the commission practices double standards over the information leak on the Penang tunnel undersea project.

“We have never practiced double standards, we are professional in doing our job,” its deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki told reporters in Putrajaya today.

Lim had previously questioned why MACC has not taken action on the leak of “false information” about purported kickbacks in the state's undersea tunnel project.

He called it double standards as MACC had acted promptly on the information leak alleging wrongdoing by Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin in a housing scandal.

However, Azam said MACC would look into the information leak on the Penang tunnel project.

“I will look into it, because not all of the information will be true. But we will look into it, we have a way to assess and filter information.

“We look at all angles, all the information given, everything spread through social media or in the mainstream,” he added.

Regarding the claims of politicians receiving kickbacks in the Penang tunnel project, Azam declined to speculate.

“That (the claims) are from the newspaper. From our side, investigations are ongoing and anyone involved in receiving any kind of kickbacks, we will investigate.

“So I do not want to name anyone, be they politicians or otherwise. Those are reports from newspapers,” he said.

He also revealed that MACC has recorded 76 statements from witnesses so far and expects more people to be called in.

“And I do not deny that more arrests might be made, I just do not want to speculate when and whom,” he added.

However, he said their investigation is far from done and it would be some time before the investigation papers are submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

It was reported earlier that anonymous sources had alleged that kickbacks up to “tens of thousands and several million ringgit” were given to “key politicians” in the Penang tunnel project.

This information was alleged to be based on “preliminary findings of the MACC’s investigation”.- Mkini