Corruption in Sabah: Shafie amused by authority’s haste to plead innocent

KOTA KINABALU: Semporna member of Parliament, Datik Shafie Apdal said it was quite perplexing and amusing that the state authority was in a haste to plead their innocence publicly and diverting the blame to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry when the investigation by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was still ongoing.

“Making such statements publicly seem to show that the state authority has no respect nor confidence towards the process of the investigation by MACC,” he said in a statement.

The Former Minister of Rural and Regional Development  was responding to a  statement made by  Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan concerning the awards of project amounting to RM3.3 billion in relation to the recent arrests of two state senior government officers.

Shafie said: “It was indicated that the project was awarded in 2010 during my tenure as the Minister in charge of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. It was also indicated that the projects was not handled by his ministry.”

“I would reserved my comment on this matter as I believe that we must not interfere or be seen to be interfering with the ongoing investigation by making public statements and plea of innocents so as to ensure that the integrity of the investigation by MACC is not compromise with,” he said.

According to Shafie, he was more than willing to assist in the investigation and give his assistance in any manner he could if so requested to assist in the investigation. – Sarawakvoice

Kredit : SarawakVoice.com