PUTRAJAYA: More than 60% of the 156 investigation papers (IPs) of high-profile and public interest cases opened by the Special Operations Division (BOK) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) between 2020 and June 8 this year involved politicians.
BOK senior director Datuk Tan Kang Sai (pic) said the investigations resulted in the arrest of 211 individuals, with 91 of them brought to court on 454 charges.
“During the same period, the MACC also confiscated RM51,132,539 in cash, forfeited property and cash amounting to RM10,465,873.39, and issued compounds amounting to RM128,968,750,” he told Bernama.
Investigating high-profile and public-interest cases, especially concerning financial transactions involving banks and foreign financial institutions, he said, had their own challenges.
“Investigating the money trail becomes difficult when the money is transferred to accounts abroad because each country has different laws to protect its banking system.
“Banks and financial institutions have the right not to cooperate and refuse to provide information.
“As such, we see that most of the evidence on the money trail brought to court only involves local banks and financial institutions,” he said.
BOK is a special investigation unit of the MACC established to investigate high-profile and public-interest cases and those affecting the country’s security.
Established in 2010, it is part of the MACC’s transformation initiative to achieve the National Key Result Area (NKRA) objectives related to large-scale corruption cases in procurement and enforcement.
Among the high-profile cases that BOK had investigated were Ops Mitra, Ops Hire and Ops Marii, which involved the misuse of funds amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit provided by the government for the development of the Indian community, workers and the automotive industry.
Another challenge facing BOK, Tan said, was when the media and politicians sensationalised cases under investigation.
“This allows the parties involved to take the opportunity to destroy important documents such as financial transactions and flee.
“Today’s technological advancement also presents its own challenges where financial transactions involving local banks, financial institutions and even foreign financial institutions can be carried out using only mobile phones.
“Given the challenges, the MACC engages experts in accounting, engineering and law as part of the BOK investigation team to ensure a comprehensive investigation before submitting the IPs to the Attorney General’s Chambers,” he added.
