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Kitaro
serenade
IGP and A-G
cleared in
Anwar’s
‘black-eye’
case
by Giam Say Khoon
and Tim Leonard
KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-
General of Police Tan Sri Musa
Hassan and Attorney-General
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail have
been cleared of any wrong–
doing in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibra-
him’s “black-eye” incident.
The Malaysian Anti-Corrup-
tion Commission came to the
conclusion after a two-month-
long investigation, Minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz told
the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He was replying to Gobind
Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) who
asked about the status of the
probe during Question Time.
“This was a sensitive and
high profile case and the MACC
had proposed a three-man panel
as deputy public prosecutors
(former Federal Court judges
Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman and
Datuk Wira Mohd Noor Ahmad
and Court of Appeal judge Datuk
Mohd Noor Abdullah) to look
into the case,” he said.
Last year, Anwar lodged a
report against the two top law
officers alleging they tampered
with evidence of him being
beaten while in police custody
in 1998.
Nazri said the investigation
started last July 2 and took two
months. “It took us some time
to make the announcement
because we want to make sure
the decision will not create any
doubt,” he told Gobind.
The panellists had agreed
to clear Musa and only one of
them was against Abdul Gani,
he said in reply to Lim Kit Siang
(DAP-Ipoh Timur) who asked the
result of the investigation.
In an immediate response at
Parliament lobby, Anwar said he
was “disgusted” over the out-
come and that he would write
to each member of the panel to
ensure that they had received all
the evidence he had adduced.
“We submitted clear
evidence … it is so unfortunate
that a case like this with all the
evidence can be turned down.
Anyway, we don’t know what
is the actual evidence which
reached the panel.”
On another note, Anwar
dismissed speculation of an
agenda behind his meeting
with Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over
lunch at a religious school in
Hulu Langat on Tuesday. “We
talked about our families,” he
said, when asked what was
discussed.
He declined to say more.
» No discussion with Anwar,
says Abdullah – Pg 9
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
» Third ruling on Perak speaker’s status pg7
pg21
28 killed in shooting sprees
Germany: 17 dead
BERLIN: A teenager in black combat
gear went on a bloody rampage at his
former school in Germany yesterday,
slaying at least 16 people before dy-
ing in a shootout with police.
Ten pupils, three teachers and
three passers-by were among those
killed in the shooting spree at the
secondary school in Winnenden, said
Heribert Rech, the interior minister of
Law to police
enforcers
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
UALA LUMPUR: The En-
K
forcement Agency Integrity
Commission (EAIC) Bill was
tabled for first reading in the
Dewan Rakyat yesterday, to replace
the Special Complaints Commission
(SCC) Bill which was withdrawn in
December 2007 amid calls for more
consultation and changes.
Tabled by Home Minister Datuk
Seri Syed Hamid Albar, the bill is
expected to be vigorously scrutinised
by the opposition ranks which had
been pushing for the setting up of an
Independent Police Complaints and
Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as
recommended by the Royal Commis-
sion on the Police Force in 2006.
Although promised by Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi, the police objected to the
formation of the IPCMC and what
came about was the SCC Bill. But
when it was tabled, several NGOs
hammered it as being a “watered
30 SEN for delivery to your doorstep
TELLING IT AS IT IS
the southern state of Baden-Wuert-
temberg.
Armed commandos with helicop-
ters and dogs then launched a mas-
sive hunt for the 17-year-old gunman.
Police sources said he was later killed
in a fire-fight with police.
German media reports said that
he had shot himself dead in the car
park of a nearby shopping centre
down” version of the IPCMC.
Coming in the wake of the death
of car theft suspect A. Kugan while
in police detention, the EAIC Bill
will again be analysed to see if it can
do the job of policing enforcement
officers.
The bill will cover all enforcement
agencies “as prescribed by the prime
minister” except the Malaysian Anti-
Corruption Commission which is
governed by the MACC Act 2009.
Under the bill, the King will
appoint a chairman, a deputy and not
more than five commissioners under
the advice of the prime minister. No
enforcement officer can be appointed
as commissioner.
Commission’s functions
»licReceive, investigate and hear pub-
complaints of misconduct against
an enforcement officer or agency;
» Formulate and put in place
mechanisms to detect, investigate and
prevent misconduct by an enforce-
ment officer;
» Audit and monitor particular
Award winning newspaper
for public service reporting
and opinion writing.
No. 4714 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
Thursday
March 12, 2009
www.sun2surf.com
» Champion of the third voice pg14 INTERVIEWS VIEWS
REUTERPIX
United States: 11 dead
BIRMINGHAM: A gunman on a rampage killed at least
10 people in the southern state of Alabama before
turning the weapon on himself, reports said.
Local residents and media named Michael McLen-
don, 27, as the man behind Tuesday’s shooting spree.
McLendon, who left a trail of dead and wounded
across two counties and three towns, fatally shot
himself after being cornered by police in a factory.
The violence began in the town of Kinston, Alabama,
where the gunman set fire to his mother’s house.
McLendon’s mother and his girlfriend were killed.
McLendon then drove to the nearby town of
Samson, where four adults and a one-year-old child
– including members of McLendon’s family – were
shot dead on the porch of their home, reports said.
Police said the shooter then moved on to a sec-
ond Samsom home and killed another adult, then a
third home where another adult was shot dead.
The gunman then left that location, traveling on
Alabama route 52. He stopped on the road at a local
company, where he shot dead one person, then
killed another victim at a service station.
Police cars chased the shooter to a factory just
north of the town of Geneva where he was later
found dead. – AFP
after kidnapping a man and his The Bild daily said on its website
Volkswagen Sharan car and driven that police commandos had stormed
through a police barrier towards the the home of the teenager’s parents,
motorway. where 18 weapons were legally held.
“The gunman just sprayed bul- It was not immediately clear
lets all around him,” N-TV cited an whether the gunman used any of
unnamed witness as saying. A local these guns in his attack.
radio journalist told the same channel The picturesque town of Win-
that the ex-pupil had used a machine nenden has around 27,000 inhabit-
gun during his rampage. ants. – AFP
form a task force which will have the
powers to investigate as contained
in the Criminal Procedure Code if it
is not satisfied with the preliminary
investigation by the complaints
committee.
However, what will probably
generate debate is that the bill does
not give the commission enforcement
and prosecution powers. The com-
mission shall have the power to only
refer any complaint of misconduct of a
disciplinary nature to the appropriate
disciplinary authority or of a criminal
nature to the Public Prosecutor.
It is not allowed to investigate if
the person complained of is not an
enforcement officer or when the
action occurred when the officer is
off duty.
The commission may conduct its
aspects of the operations and proce- own investigation on misconduct if it
dures of an enforcement agency; becomes aware of it on its own initia-
» Promote awareness and tive and if it is satisfied the matter is
education in relation to integrity and of significant public interest.
reduce misconduct among enforce-
ment officers; Commission’s powers
» Help to formulate laws or to » Conduct hearings;
recommend administrative measures » Procure, require and receive
to the government or enforcement evidence;
agency; and » Summon any person in the country
» Study and verify any infringement to attend hearings or meetings;
of enforcement procedures and to » Issue warrant of arrest to
make recommendations. compel the attendance of the person
The commission may second any summoned but who failed to turn up;
officer from any enforcement agency and
to be its investigator and it may also » Impose a fine of up to RM5,000
appoint legal officers, who can also on those who refuse to give evidence
be seconded from the Judicial and when required to.
Legal Service or appointed from the No action, suit, prosecution or
legal fraternity. proceeding shall be instituted in any
court against the commissioners, the
Complaints panel chief executive officer, other officers
A complaints committee will receive, and staff of the commission in any act
maintain, assess complaints and done at the time he was carrying out
determine the nature of the his functions in good faith.
misconduct as well as to conduct However, the bill allows the
preliminary investigation into the commission to sue and be sued in its
complaint. The commission will name.