‘Let IGP retire before we probe him’:

Dr M: Fuzi’s successor will conduct investigations into allegations

PETALINGJAYA: The successor to outgoing Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun will conduct the investigation into allegations that the Special Branch was behind the disappearance of a pastor and a social activist, says the Prime Minister.

“He (Mohamad Fuzi) was then the Special Branch (head) but is going to retire soon. We will let him retire first and then we will have another IGP conduct the investigation,” Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday.

He was commenting on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) public inquiry findings yesterday that there was direct and circumstantial evidence which proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat were abducted by the Special Branch.

Mohamad Fuzi was the Special Branch director at the time of the disappearance of the two men in 2017 and 2016 respectively. He will be retiring on May 4.

Dr Mahathir, however, said Suhakam needed to have evidence to support its public inquiry findings.

“This (investigation on the disappearance of the two men) needs evidence. I do not know if they have evidence to prove that this is what happened.

“If they have evidence, we have to take it up. This (disappearance of Koh and Amir) did not happen under the Pakatan (Harapan) government.

“It happened during the previous Barisan Nasional government. A lot of the things done by Barisan are hidden from us and the public,” he told reporters after chairing the monthly Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia meeting here.

Dr Mahathir also challenged fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho to repeat his allegations in Malaysia that he (Dr Mahathir) had lowered the value of the luxury yacht Equanimity through his actions.

“He can come here and make the same allegations and I will go to the courts to defend my decision (to sell Equanimity),” Dr Mahathir said.

Attorney General Tommy Thomas revealed earlier yesterday that the Admiralty Court in Kuala Lumpur had approved the sale of the superyacht to Genting Malaysia Bhd for US$126mil (RM514.14mil).

Low, better known as Jho Low, responded by saying that the Pakatan government showed its incompetence in handling the sale of the superyacht, especially over its sale price.

Bidding for the superyacht closed last November.

The Equanimity was one of many luxury items seized by the government as part of a money laundering probe into the 1MDB scandal.

It was alleged that Equanimity was bought by Jho Low using money stolen from 1MDB.