MACC must investigate all allegations — Henrynus

KOTA KINABALU: Former Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Afdal has to answer how the RM7.5 billion allocation under his ministry was disbursed and who actually benefited from the contracts.

Parti Anak Negeri president Datuk Henrynus Amin said this when asked to comment on the recent arrest of Shafie, who is Parti Warisan Sabah president related to alleged abuse of power in the implementation of rural development projects under his ministry when he was its minister.

Henrynus claimed that one of Shapie’s close associates had been showing off his wealth and people could easily speculate as to how he got them.

“So this is a golden opportunity for Shafie to reveal the truth,” he said in a statement yesterday.

For that matter, Henrynus said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must probe further and deeper into other high profile Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders at national and state levels closely connected to the RM7.5 billion projects implemented by the Federal Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.

He said MACC must investigate all allegations of corruption in this country involving public officials regardless of their position, connections or political affiliation without fear or favor.

“MACC has the authority to arrest and investigate anyone suspected of corruption and the onus is on the suspect to prove his or her innocence.

“The party subscribes to the old adage, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty and would allow justice to take its course. If there is nothing, MACC gets nothing,” he said.

Henrynus said the string of high profile arrests, especially involving a former federal minister turned opposition leader gives the impression that MACC was being selective, targeting only those deemed a threat to the establishment.

“The hive of MACC activities on the eve of the general election beg the question why now, not then when these leaders were top Umno leaders,” he said.

Parti Anak Negeri, he added, supports the right of MACC to investigate arrest and prosecute corrupt offenders, but the party expects them to be consistent rather than selective and exercise professionalism in handling high profile corruption cases.

“Investigation process must be transparent, based on established rules and procedures that protect the rights and dignity of those who are arrested but yet to be convicted for the crime they were being arrested for.

“We are not defending the guilty ones but we certainly do not want the innocent ones to be unfairly targeted, arrested, demonized and humiliated as sacrificial goats for their political beliefs.”

He said the strings of high profile corruption cases in recent months had brought disrepute to the state as Sabah has become the hotbeds of corruption scandals.

Parti Anak Negeri therefore joins the chorus of voices among Sabahans in demanding a clean, fair, responsible and corrupt-free government.