Sunday July 20, 2008

Abdullah: Musa and Gani excluded following report by Anwar

By YENG AI CHUN

KEPALA BATAS: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail will not be part of the team investigating the sodomy allegation against PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the two were excluded because Anwar had earlier lodged a police report against them, alleging that they had fabricated evidence against him in the infamous “black eye” incident in 1998.

“They would not be taking up any role in the investigating team,” he said when asked by newsmen after the presentation of Mara scholarships to Island College of Technology students at Dewan Milenium here yesterday.

In the 1998 investigation of sodomy charges against Anwar, Musa was the senior investigating officer while Abdul Gani was the head of prosecution.

During the press conference, Abdullah was also asked if the two should be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

“They are not involved directly, the investigating officer has not made any reference to them, so I do not see why they should be suspended,” he said.

Abdullah was also asked if UEM Builders Bhd was no longer in charge of the construction on the land section of the second Penang Bridge.

“Don’t go into details ... We are going to build the bridge and that’s all you should be interested in,” he said.

On Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s request for RM4.7bil cash in lieu of cancelled projects for Penang under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, he said:

“Tak ada cita-cita cash pun (There is no intention of cash).”

He also said it is not for him to comment on the intention of MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat to vie for the president’s post during the party polls in October.

“How can I say whether I support or don’t support? I have no role in MCA’s party polls. Let MCA decide who would lead the party. Let the MCA members decide if he should be president,” he said.

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