UMNO Sabah nafi dalang sebar dakwaan rasuah

UMNO Sabah menafikan menjadi dalang di sebalik penularan dakwaan mengenai wujudnya skandal rasuah membabitkan pemimpin politik kerajaan negeri itu seperti tersebar di media sosial sejak beberapa hari lalu.

Ketua Bahagian UMNO Beaufort, Datuk Awang Aslee Lakat, berkata parti itu tidak wajar dikaitkan dengan kes berkenaan, lebih-lebih lagi dituduh sebagai dalang yang menyebarkannya.

Katanya, ia kerana isu itu mula tular apabila sebuah portal dalam talian berpangkalan di Kuala Lumpur melaporkan dakwaan rasuah membabitkan pemimpin tertentu tanpa menyatakan nama negeri.

“Jika pun ada ahli UMNO yang berkongsi laporan itu di media sosial, ia hanya perkongsian biasa yang tidak menyentuh mana-mana pihak.

“Justeru, kenapa pula mengaitkan isu ini dengan UMNO dan menuduh parti itu sebagai dalang,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di Kota Kinabalu, semalam.

Kenyataan itu menyusul selepas beberapa hantaran di laman media sosial mendakwa laporan skandal rasuah yang sedang tular itu didalangi parti tertentu, khususnya UMNO.

Awang Aslee berkata, isu yang tular itu perlu diserahkan kepada pihak berkuasa, khususnya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) untuk melakukan siasatan sekiranya ada laporan.

“Jika benar-benar berlaku dan membabitkan pemimpin di negeri ini dan ada laporan, sudah tentu pihak berkuasa akan menyiasat bagi mengheret mereka ke muka pengadilan, justeru kita berharap pihak berkuasa mengambil tindakan dan memandang serius isu ini,” katanya.

Katanya, negeri ini perlu bebas daripada rasuah sejajar iltizam Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang bertekad untuk terus membanteras amalan rasuah dalam pentadbiran kerajaan.

Sehubungan itu, beliau mengingatkan pihak yang menuduh UMNO terutama tentera siber supaya tidak mengaitkan parti itu sebagai dalang dalam pendedahan dakwaan skandal rasuah berkenaan.

“Sekiranya SPRM mencapai keputusan dan tiada masalah, ‘so be it’, tetapi sekiranya SPRM merasakan ada sesuatu, ambil tindakan, jangan timbulkan persepsi selagi siasatan belum selesai,” katanya.

Semalam, Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, menyatakan kesediaan kerajaan negeri memberi kerjasama kepada mana-mana pihak khususnya SPRM jika ada tuduhan rasuah.

Ia berkaitan rakaman audio didakwa suara Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) yang dikatakan sedang membincangkan rasuah bernilai ratusan ribu ringgit.

Hajiji turut meminta agar pihak yang memberi rasuah turut disiasat kerana mendakwa ia mempunyai niat tidak baik bagi mendapatkan sesuatu daripada kerajaan.

 

Sabah Umno denies role in exposing graft

A SABAH Umno leader has denied that the party was involved in exposing the alleged bribery case involving eight assemblymen in the state.

Beaufort Umno chief Awang Aslee Lakat acknowledged that certain quarters were pointing to Sabah Umno as orchestrating the case’s disclosure, but said this was baseless.

“Why are certain parties linking Umno as the mastermind behind the exposure of this corruption case,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

He urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the case thoroughly and said he trusts the authorities to haul those involved in the case to justice.

Last Friday, a senior MACC official reportedly met with a lawyer who played him a 17-second audio recording, in which several people were heard discussing matters involving money.

According to MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, the lawyer said his client was ready to provide evidence, but wanted MACC to sign an agreement stating that the client would not be investigated.

Azam said MACC cannot give a written guarantee of immunity without detailed information of the wrongdoing in question.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also maintained that whistleblowers cannot expect protection if they were involved in corruption cases.

Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has since said his government would cooperate with MACC in its probe as he had “nothing to hide”.

An MACC report has also been lodged against a former senior officer of a state-owned mining company over alleged abuse of power. It is said to revolve around his long-standing relationship with a broker from West Malaysia.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that a whistleblower had released a video featuring the former senior officer accusing Hajiji of abusing his powers.