FMT : AG told to act against Khir Toyo

PETALING JAYA: The Attorney-General has no longer any reason to delay action against former Selangor Mentri Besar Khir Toyo, who is accused of lavishing RM1.7 million of  taxpayers’ money on two Disneyland trips during his term in office.
Ramon Navaratnam (picture), chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, said this today in reaction to an announcement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that it had completed its probe on Khir.
“That the file has been sent up to the Senior Federal Counsel indicates the MACC believes there are grounds to probe further,” he said.
“But whether the AG believes there is sufficient evidence to secure a conviction is another matter.
“This case has attracted enormous public anger and public funds are also involved. So, whatever it decides, the AG must be seen to be efficient and impartial. It must make its reasons very clear and spell them out publicly for all to see.”
Selangor PKR Youth leaders on Tuesday lodged a report to “remind” the MACC to complete its probe on the embattled Khir, who is facing several large corruption probes on different fronts.
Some 30 Youth members sporting Mickey Mouse masks handed in their report together with documentary evidence to Selangor MACC director Jaafar Mahad.
“I was told that the Putrajaya MACC had completed its investigations into the matter and the findings have been forwarded to its senior federal counsel,” Jaafar said. “Now, the senior federal counsel would investigate the matter from all aspects of the law.”
Khir, a senior Umno leader, has said the charges were false. According to him, the trips to Disneyland parks in France and the United States–each with a large entourage–were “technical visits.”
Apart from the theme park visits, his lavish bungalow in Shah Alam–which some have estimated to be worth RM24 million–has also attracted public interest. However, despite reports lodged with the MACC, the probe has been slow, according to Harakah Daily.
“This is the crux of the problem,” said PKR vice president and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah. “Corruption is corruption and the MACC must be seen to exercise more professionalism in the way it conducts its probes.
“When reports are made against the Pakatan Rakyat and over miserly sums, the MACC can rush about and get charges up and going in no time. But when it involves an Umno-BN leader, they have to be constantly reminded or the case will sink into obscurity.
“I believe the Disneyland charges were raised by the Selcat (a Selangor parliamentary committee) nearly a year ago in March 2008. And the amounts involved are not small. But till now, the authorities are pushing the case round and round with no result.
“If they want the public to have confidence in them, then they must do a much better job and target the big fish and not just the small fry.”